[CALL TO ORDER ]
[00:00:03]
THIS IS THE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2ND, 2025 MEETING OF THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.
UH, WE ARE AT CITY HALL AND I WILL, UH, ASK STAFF TO GO AHEAD AND DO A, A ATTENDANCE.
GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONER BEN HEIM.
COMMISSIONER ROXANNE EVANS IS ABSENT TONIGHT.
COMMISSIONER HARRISON FRIGHT PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER KEVIN COOK, PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER REMAN CASTILLO'S SEAT IS ABSENT.
UH, COMMISSIONER HARMONY GROGAN PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER CARL LA ROCHE IS ABSENT TONIGHT.
COMMISSIONER JAIME ALVAREZ IS RUNNING LATE.
COMMISSIONER BOTANA GCI IS ABSENT TONIGHT.
WELL, UM, WE HAVE A NEW MEMBER AND, UH, COMMISSIONER ACTON.
UH, WE'RE DELIGHTED TO HAVE YOU.
AND, UH, IF YOU'D LIKE, MAYBE, UH, JUST A QUICK INTRODUCTION, IF YOU WILL, AND, AND SOME OF YOUR BACKGROUND AND YOUR INTEREST IN PRESERVATION.
I GUESS I HAVE TO, UM, SORRY TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT LET ME PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.
I'M A GRADUATE OF, UH, UT UM, THE ARCHITECTURAL ENGINEERING PROGRAM.
UM, I QUICKLY REALIZED I DIDN'T WANT TO DO MATH ALL DAY, SO I STARTED, UH, DOING ENCLOSURE, UM, CONSULTING IN AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION FIRST IN BOSTON, THEN MOVED HERE, WORKED FOR A COUPLE FIRMS, STARTED MY OWN FIRM SEVERAL YEARS AGO, UM, AND HAVE ALWAYS HAD A, UH, A LONG-TERM INTEREST IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION FROM STARTING WORKING ON IT, UM, IN BOSTON, EARLY IN MY CAREER, WHICH ALMOST EVERYTHING IN BOSTON HAS HISTORIC IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER.
UM, AND THEN MOVING ON, UM, TO HERE.
SO I'M VERY, UH, UH, VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE, UM, SIR, WITH ALL YOU.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, HELPING PRESERVE SOME OF, UH, AUSTIN'S HISTORY IF WE CAN.
AND WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU.
SO, AND THEN THIS COMMISSIONER TO MY LEFT, WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR EVEN LONGER.
'CAUSE UH, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER E EP, UH, PLEASE, UH, GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
I AM IN MY DAY JOB MANAGER OF VISITOR SERVICES.
I'M MANAGER OF VISITOR SERVICES AND TOUR AMBASSADOR FOR VISIT AUSTIN, SPECIFICALLY THE AUSTIN VISITOR CENTER.
I'M ALSO A TOUR DOCENT FOR SIX SQUARE AUSTIN'S BLACK CULTURAL DISTRICT.
AND I LEAD VISIT AUSTIN, SPONSORED TOURS OF DOWNTOWN AUSTIN AND NOW OF THE EAST 11TH STREET CORRIDOR AS WELL.
I'VE HAD A, I'M A LIFELONG AUSTINITE.
I'VE HAD A LONG, LONG, UH, INTEREST IN HISTORY AND PRESERVATION, UH, GOING BACK TO WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER, AND I'M JUST SO GLAD TO BE A, A PART OF THIS ORGANIZATION.
WELL, AND COMMISSIONER UPRIGHT, I HAVE TO SAY, WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL SINCE YOUR APPOINTMENT WAS SEVERAL MONTHS EARLIER AND THERE WAS STILL SOME PAPERWORK TO FILL OUT.
I THINK YOU GET GOLD STARS BECAUSE YOU ATTENDED THE LAST TWO MEETINGS, EVEN THOUGH WE COULDN'T SEE YOU.
SO WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR IT'S MY PLEASURE.
EVEN THE SERVICE YOU WEREN'T ABLE TO PROVIDE MM-HMM
SO, UH, AT THIS POINT, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS, UH, I'LL GO THROUGH THE AGENDA AND, UH, I GUESS CALL ON STAFF.
WE CAN REVIEW THE AGENDA AND WE WILL BE TAKING ONE ITEM OUT OF ORDER.
UH, WE HAVE AN ITEM NUMBER 16, WHICH IS A PRESENTATION DISCUSSION ON THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY.
UH, THIS WAS A, A IMPORTANT, UH, PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN ONGOING AND I MADE A REQUEST, UH, SO IT WASN'T ABLE TO GET ONTO WHAT WAS NORMALLY AN, AN EARLIER PART OF OUR AGENDA, BUT I THINK IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT, UM, DEVELOPMENT THAT WE'LL HAVE IMPLICATIONS THAT YOU'LL HEAR ABOUT SHORTLY.
UM, BUT WE GO THROUGH THE FULL AGENDA AND THEN IN ORDER TO TAKE THAT OUT OF ORDER, WE'LL NEED A VOTE, BUT WE CAN TAKE IT AT THAT TIME.
[Consent Agenda]
GO AHEAD TO OUR NEW COMMISSIONERS.WE WILL START WITH ITEM ONE, THE MARCH 5TH, 20, 25 MINUTES THIS EVENING, AND THOSE ARE OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
OUR HISTORIC ZONING APPLICATIONS THIS EVENING ARE ITEM TWO C 14 H 20 25 22 AT 1701 SAN GABRIEL STREET.
THIS ITEM IS OFFERED, OR FOR AN APPLICANT POSTPONEMENT UNDER CERTIFICATES OF APPROPRIATENESS.
WE HAVE ITEM THREE, HR 2 2 5 0 2 6 1 6 2 AT 5 0 3 EAST MARY STREET.
THIS ITEM IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT IN NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT APPLICATIONS.
[00:05:01]
WE BEGIN WITH ITEM FOUR, HR 20 24, 1 2 3 0 6 0 AT 1003 MAL PHRASE STREET.THIS IS AN APPLICANT REQUESTED POSTPONEMENT.
ITEM FIVE, PR 20 24 1 5 9 6 3 2 AT 7 0 5 WESTLAND STREET WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM.
ITEM SIX, HR 20 25 0 2 3 0 6 6 18 20 WEST 10TH STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM SEVEN, PR 2 2 5 9 4 7 8 AT 2307.
WINDSOR ROAD NUMBER TWO IS A DISCUSSION ITEM.
ITEM EIGHT, HR 20 25 2 8 1 1 3 AT 1507 LORRAINE STREET IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM NINE, PR 20 25 0 2 4 8 3 6 AT 1324 ALT VISTA AVENUE IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT UNDER DEMOLITION AND RELOCATION APPLICATIONS.
TONIGHT WE HAVE ITEM 10, PR 2 2 5 0 0 8 2 3 6 AT 29 0 1 RIDGE OAK DRIVE.
THIS WILL BE A DISCUSSION ITEM.
ITEM 11, PR 20 25 0 1 7 5 4 AT 2307.
BRIDAL PATH IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM 12, PR 20 25 0 2 2 2 7 7 AT 1307 CRESTWOOD ROAD IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM 13, PR 20 25 0 2 6 1 9 7 AT 45 23.
AVENUE B IS A CONSENT ITEM AS WELL.
ITEM 14, PR 20 25 1 4 2 7 1 5 AT 1301 SHOUL CREEK BOULEVARD IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
AND ITEM 15, PR 20 25 0 2 5 2 3 1 AT 6,004 SPAN CREEK CIRCLE IS OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS TONIGHT INCLUDE ITEM 16, WHICH IS A PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION ON PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS INCLUDE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON NOMINATING A MEMBER TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION OFFICER ELECTIONS FOR 2025 AND APPROVAL OF BUDGET RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 25 26, AS WELL AS VOTES TO NOMINATE MEMBERS TO THE GRANTS OPERATIONS AND PRESERVATION PLAN COMMITTEES.
FINALLY, WE HAVE ITEM 21, UH, UNDER DETERMINATIONS OF ELIGIBILITY FOR PARTIAL VALOREM TAX RELIEF, UH, WHICH IS AN ITEM TO CONDUCT A HEARING AND VOTE ON THE PARTIAL A VALOREM TAX EXEMPTIONS FOR THE REMAINING HISTORIC LANDMARKS FOR 2025.
AND THAT CONCLUDES THE READING OF THE AGENDA.
UM, WHAT I'LL DO IS NOW REVIEW THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
IF THERE'S ANYBODY HERE, UH, IN THE AUDIENCE OR ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO PULL THAT ITEM FOR DISCUSSION, PLEASE GET MY ATTENTION AS I REVIEW THESE ITEMS. UH, BUT IF, IF WE, IF THEY STAY ON THE, ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, THEN WITH ONE VOTE THAT WILL BE PASSED WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE INCLUDED WITH FROM STAFF, THOSE FIRST ITEM, UH, FOR CONSENT IS ITEM ONE.
IT'S THE MARCH 5TH, 2025 MINUTES.
THE SECOND ITEM OFFERED IS, UH, UNDER HISTORIC LANDMARK AND LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT APPLICATIONS.
UH, ITEM NUMBER THREE, THIS IS AT 5 0 3 EAST MARY STREET.
AND I'D JUST LIKE TO TAKE A SECOND AND SAY THAT I WANNA COMPLIMENT THE OWNERS WHO HAVE DONE A VERY APPROPRIATE JOB.
UH, THERE ARE SO MANY TIMES WHEN WE HAVE PROPERTIES IN HISTORIC DISTRICTS THAT, UH, ADDITIONS, OVERWHELM, OR WE TRY TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE THEM FIT.
BUT I THINK IN THIS CASE, THE ADDITION ON THE REAR IS MORE THAN APPROPRIATE.
AND IF ANYBODY IS OUT THERE LOOKING WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF ADDING TO, OR ADJUSTING, UH, A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE IN A HISTORIC DISTRICT, UH, I WOULD POINT YOU TO THIS AND, UH, I'LL COME TO ANOTHER ONE.
I THINK WE HAVE TWO VERY GOOD EXAMPLES OF WHAT WE WOULD PREFER AND WHAT, AND GOOD, GOOD JOB, EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE GETTING ON THE CONSENT, I WANT TO PASS THAT ON, UH, AS A, UH, PAT ON THE BACK.
ITEM NUMBER SIX, THE OTHER ONE THAT I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO COMPLIMENT, THIS ALSO IS AN ADDITION ON THE BACK AND A TWO STORY, UH, A DU, UH, AGAIN, IN THIS CASE, UH, IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT.
THIS IS IN, UH, 1820 WEST 10TH STREET.
AND THAT IS AGAIN, OFFER ITEM NUMBER SIX, OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
UH, ITEM NUMBER 8 15 0 7 LORRAINE STREET, THE OLD WEST AUSTIN NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT.
THIS IS A DEMOLITION OF A CARPORT, THE CONSTRUCTION OF A GARAGE AND REAL PATIO OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM NUMBER 9 13 24 ALTA VISTA AVENUE, UH, IN THE TRAVIS HEIGHTS FAIRVIEW PARK NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT, UH, THIS IS A DEMOLITION, UH, OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
THE NEXT ITEM IN, UH, OUR DEMOLITION RELOCATION PERMITS
[00:10:01]
IS ITEM NUMBER 11.ITEM NUMBER 13 45 23 AVENUE B PARTIAL DEMOLITION.
IN ADDITION, ITEM NUMBER 14 13 0 7 SHOAL CREEK BOULEVARD, UH, REPAIR OF THE GRANDSTANDS, UH, FAILING A DA INFRASTRUCTURE AND, UH, PRESS BOX.
UH, THIS IS A-A-I-S-D PROJECT ITEM NUMBER AGAIN, OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
ITEM NUMBER 15 6 0 0 4 SPAN CREEK CIRCLE.
UH, THIS IS A DEMOLITION REQUEST AND THAT CONCLUDES THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE OFFERED FOR CONSENT.
UH, UNLESS ANYBODY HAS ONE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO PULL FOR DISCUSSION, HEARING NONE, THEN I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
MOVE TO PASS THE CONSENT AGENDA AS NOTED, JUST NOTING.
ITEM 14 13 0 1 CREEK BOULEVARD.
RIGHT, UH, THERE IS A MOTION TO PASS THE CONSENT.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND, UH, COMMISSIONER ALVAREZ, WE'LL GET YOU NEXT, UH, SECONDS.
AND ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS WITH COMMISSIONER ALVAREZ.
UH, THE NEXT ITEMS THAT WE'LL TAKE ARE OUR POSTPONEMENT ITEMS, AND IN THIS CASE WE HAVE, UH, TWO APPLICANT POSTPONEMENTS.
THE FIRST ONE IS, UH, ITEM NUMBER TWO AT 1701 SAN GABRIEL STREET.
UH, AND THE SECOND ONE IS ITEM NUMBER FOUR AT 10 0 0 3 MAL RACE.
UH, BOTH OF THESE ARE TO BE, UH, POSTPONED TO OUR, UM, TO OUR MAY MEETING, UH, AT THE APPLICANT'S REQUEST.
I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION MOVE TO PASS THOSE TWO POSTPONEMENT ITEMS. COMMISSIONER COOK.
AND SECOND, WE'LL GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER ACTON SECONDS.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE POSTPONEMENTS INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
ALRIGHT, AND THAT PASSES AGAIN UNANIMOUSLY.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS, UH, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.IS THERE SOMEBODY SIGNED UP? YES, WE HAVE MS. MARY KALE.
MS. KALE, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE AND READ YOUR NAME AND FOR THE RECORD.
I'M ON THE BOARD OF PRESERVATION AUSTIN, AND I CHAIR THE ADVOCACY COMMITTEE AT PA.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
I KNOW THESE MEETINGS CAN BE VERY LONG AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU DO.
UM, PRESERVATION AUSTIN'S HOMES TOUR IS COMING UP ON SATURDAY, APRIL 26TH AND 27TH.
I'LL BE A HOUSE CAPTAIN ON THE 27TH.
THIS YEAR'S HOMES EMBODY AUSTIN'S REMARKABLE HERITAGE SHOWCASE, EXCUSE ME, SHOWCASING DIVERSE ARCHITECTURAL ERAS AND CULTURAL HISTORIES.
OURS IS THE ONLY TOUR OF ITS KIND TO CONNECT AUSTINITES TO HISTORIC SPACES AND STUNNING DESIGN IN SUCH POWERFUL AND PERSONAL WAYS.
IN ADDITION TO THE 10 HOMES FEATURED ON THIS YEAR'S TOUR, WE'RE OFFERING FREE WALKING TOURS OF EAST AUSTIN'S KEYSTONE EDITION, HONORING THE LEGACY OF PIONEERING BLACK ARCHITECT JOHN S. CHASE, HOSTED BY FORMER COMMISSIONER DR.
WE ARE ALSO HOSTING OUR ANNUAL VIP PARTY ON APRIL 17TH AT SOUTH AUSTIN'S GORGEOUS IVY DAVIS HOMESTEAD.
THE GREEK REVIVAL STYLE HOME IS A LOCAL AND STATE LANDMARK AND AN ICON OF THE ZILKER NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE LUSHLY LANDSCAPE ESTATE IS ALSO A NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION CERTIFIED HAVEN.
SO KIND OF BLENDING HISTORIC PRESERVATION WITH THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL ETHOS.
SO MUCH A PART OF OUR IDENTITY IN AUSTIN.
IT'S ALSO HOME TO A COLONY OF PURPLE MARTINS.
THOSE INTERESTED IN JOINING US CAN LEARN MORE AND PURCHASE TICKETS@PRESERVATIONAUSTIN.ORG.
SO I'M JUST HERE TO TELL Y'ALL ABOUT IT AND ENCOURAGE YOU TO SPREAD THE WORD TO YOUR, UM, THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS YOU REPRESENT.
UM, IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE SIGNED UP FOR CITIZENS COMMUNICATION? WE HAVE A COUPLE OF FOLKS WHO I THINK MAY BE SIGNED UP FOR AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA, BUT I'LL DOUBLE CHECK JUST TO MAKE SURE.
UH, MARIA, MARGARET, UH, RA? EVA? YES.
AND IS THAT ALSO CORRECT FOR, UH, MR. REAGAN? YES.
THAT'LL BE ALL FOR OF COMMUNICATION.
WE'LL, WE'LL HEAR FROM YOU, UH, WHEN THE CASE IS CALLED.
WE'LL NEED TO TAKE, UH, A MOTION TO TAKE ITEM 16 OUT OF ORDER IN ORDER THAT WE CAN THEN HAVE A PRESENTATION ON THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY, UH, PROGRAM.
SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION AT THIS TIME.
COMMISSIONER COOK, AND SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER FRIGHT.
[00:15:01]
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SECOND THAT? YES, I'LL SECOND IT.UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
[16. Presentation and discussion on proposed amendments to the University Neighborhood Overlay (UNO), which includes height allowances, uses, affordability requirements, district boundaries, parking standards, and design criteria. Presenter: Alan Pani.]
UH, THE BRIEFING.UH, I AM HERE TO BRIEF ON THE UNO UPDATE.
I'M THE, UH, PRINCIPAL PLANNER WITH THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
PAUL BOOKS, UH, WILL NOT BE PRESENTING TODAY, BUT HE IS, UH, ALSO THE CASE MANAGER FOR THIS.
UH, TODAY I WILL GIVE SOME INFORMATION ON THE BACKGROUND OF UNO.
SOME OF THE PROCESS FOR THE UPDATES IN UNO ARE PROPOSED CHANGES AS WELL AS NEXT STEPS IN THE PROCESS.
SO FOR SOME BACKGROUND ON UNO, UH, IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2004.
IT'S THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY.
UH, IT WAS DESIGNED TO PROMOTE HIGH DENSITY AND PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED REDEVELOPMENT THAT MAINTAINS THE EXISTING CHARACTER OF THE AREA.
IT HAS HELPED FACILITATE POPULATION GROWTH OVER TO OVER 28,000 RESIDENTS IN WEST CAMPUS.
UH, IT WAS UPDATED TWICE IN THE LAST, UH, YOU KNOW, 11 YEARS, I GUESS 2014 AND 2019 HAD UPDATES TO UNO.
UH, IT IS COMPRISED OF, UH, MULTIPLE SUBDISTRICTS OUTER WEST SUBDISTRICT, INNER WEST GUADALUPE, AND ADOBE.
UM, AND AGAIN, THIS IS KIND OF THE WEST CAMPUS AREA NEXT TO UT.
LAST YEAR IN APRIL OF 2024, UH, COUNCIL INITIATED A RESOLUTION TO UPDATE UNO, UH, AND INCLUDED 29 DISTINCT ITEMS FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION, UH, AND INITIATED UPDATES TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AS WELL AS BUILDING CRITERIA.
MANUAL REQUESTED SOME PROGRAMMATIC UPDATES, UM, AND REQUESTED THAT THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE CHANGES BE CONSIDERED IN SPRING OF THIS YEAR.
OVERALL, THE GOALS FOR THE RESOLUTION WERE TO PROVIDE QUALITY, SAFE, AND AFFORDABLE LIVING FOR ALL, ESPECIALLY FOR STUDENTS ATTENDING COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.
AND DOING SO BY SUPPORTING IMPLEMENTATION OF LIGHT RAIL AND MOBILITY ENHANCEMENTS IN THE AREA, ENSURING THE AREA PROVIDES DAILY NEEDS AND SERVICES, AS WELL AS INCREASING HOUSING CAPACITY, QUALITY AND AFFORDABILITY.
UH, SPEAKING A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DETAIL ABOUT THE DIRECTION WE RECEIVED FOR THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE UPDATES, WHICH IS WHAT I'M PRESENTING TODAY.
UH, IT ASKED US TO STUDY HEIGHT LIMITS ACHIEVABLE WITHIN UNO, UH, THAT WERE IN ALIGNMENT WITH PLANNING COMMISSIONS, RECOMMENDATION TO REMOVE HEIGHT LIMITS FOR INNER WEST CAMPUS ADOBE SUB-DISTRICTS, AS WELL AS, UH, STUDYING HEIGHT LIMITS THAT ARE SIMILAR TO WHAT CAN BE ACHIEVED WITH PARTICIPATION IN THE EAD OVERLAY AT A MINIMUM EX.
AND I'M GONNA HAVE TO JUMP IN.
THE EAD SINCE WE'RE NOT NORMALLY FOLLOWING SOME OF THESE PLANNING, UH, ACTIONS.
SO EAD OVERLAY WAS PASSED, UH, LAST SPRING.
IT IS AN ALIGNMENT OF ABOUT HALF MILE, UH, UH, WHAT'S THE WORD, LIKE BUFFER FROM THE LIGHT RAIL.
UH, PHASE ONE PROPOSED EXPANSION.
AND IT ALLOWS FOR PROPERTIES THAT, UH, REDEVELOP IN THAT AREA WITH CERTAIN BASE ZONES CAN ACHIEVE HEIGHTS OF 90 FEET, UH, IN THE QUARTER MILE FURTHEST AWAY FROM THE LIGHT RAIL AND THE QUARTER MILE CLOSEST TO LIGHT RAIL UP TO 120 FEET OF HEIGHT.
SO BASICALLY THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT HEIGHT LIMITS THAT ARE SIMILAR TO THAT, EITHER 90 OR 120 FEET.
UH, ALONG THE LIGHT RAIL AND E TODD STANDS FOR EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT.
UH, THEY ALSO ASKED US TO STUDY THE EXPANSION OF UNO BOUNDARIES OF THE CURRENT BOUNDARIES AS WELL AS EXPANDING BOUNDARIES FOR THE INNER WEST CAMPUS.
THEY ASKED US TO STUDY AN APPROPRIATE STEP DOWN OF HEIGHTS WITHIN EXPANSION AREAS, AS WELL AS MODIFYING DEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS TO DISCOURAGE ABOVE GROUND PARKING, ENCOURAGED SHARE PARKING AND UNDERGROUND PARKING.
UH, AND HAD SOME CLEAR DIRECTION ON STAKEHOLDER AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THEY WANTED US TO COMPLETE.
UM, SO TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROCESS FOR THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE UPDATES.
SO, UH, AGAIN, LAST SPRING THERE WAS A RESOLUTION THAT INITIATED THE ACTION.
UH, WE HAVE SINCE THEN DEVELOPED THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AND HAVE DONE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS.
AND CONTINUING TODAY, WE ARE NOW, UH, MOVING THROUGH THE REVIEW AND ADOPTION PORTION OF IT.
WE WENT TO THE CODES AND ORDINANCES JOINT COMMITTEE ON APRIL OR MARCH 19TH.
UH, WE'LL BE AT PLANNING COMMISSION ON APRIL 22ND, AND WE CONSIDER FOR COUNCIL ON MAY 8TH, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT LATER.
SO, AS PART OF THE UPDATES, UH, WE WILL BE DOING A REZONING, UH, TO UPDATE THE REGULATIONS.
WE'RE CREATING A NEW ZONING DISTRICT THAT INCORPORATES THE EXISTING OVERLAY WITH THE REQUESTED UPDATES AND REZONING WILL REQUIRE NOTICE TO THE IMPACTED PROPERTIES
[00:20:01]
AND A REVIEW BY PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL AT THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.A ADDITIONALLY, UH, AS PART OF THE AMENDMENT, WE WILL BE DOING A UPDATE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN.
UH, UNO IS PART OF THE CENTRAL AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN, CENTRAL AUSTIN COMBINED NEIGHBORHOOD PLAN.
AN ELEMENT OF THE IMAGINE AUSTIN COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
UH, THE CURRENT FUTURE LAND USE MAP SHOWS DIFFERENT, UH, USES FOR DESIGNATED AS MIXED USE AND HIGH DENSITY MIXED USE.
MIXED USE, UH, HAS A DESIGNATION THAT ALLOWS FOR FAR OF THREE TO ONE OR FLOURISH RATIO OF THREE TO ONE, WHEREAS HIGH DENSITY MIXED USE IS APPROPRIATE FOR AREAS WITH THREE TO ONE FAR OR GREATER.
SO WE ARE PROPOSING TO UPDATE THAT TO BE HIGH DENSITY MIXED USE FOR THE WHOLE DISTRICT AS THE HEIGHTS ARE, UH, REFLECTING A FAR OF GREATER THAN THREE TO ONE.
AGAIN, THIS REQUIRES NOTICE TO IMPACTED PROPERTIES AND REVIEW BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND CITY COUNCIL AT THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.
SO, GOING INTO OUR PROPOSED CHANGES, UH, THIS IS A QUICK OVERVIEW OF ALL THE DIFFERENT STANDARDS IN THE AREA AS WELL AS THE STATUS OF THEM.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, WE ARE MODIFYING SOME OF THE EXISTING STANDARDS SUCH AS SETBACKS, STREETSCAPE USES, UM, SOME REMAIN UNCHANGED, UH, SUCH AS OCCUPANCY STREET WALL EXEMPTIONS, UH, AS WELL AS SOME NEW STANDARDS THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO CREATE AS FAR PARKING AND LEASE AND REDEVELOPMENT.
I WILL GO INTO THEM IN MORE DETAIL.
THE PROGRAM STRUCTURE IS, UH, THERE WILL BE GENERAL REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE APPLICABLE TO ANY PARTICIPATING DEVELOPMENT IN THE AREA.
THAT INCLUDES WHERE UNO CAN BE APPLIED TO THE BOUNDARIES ALLOWED, USES SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AND DENIED STANDARDS, PARKING, ALLOWANCES, AND LEASE AND REDEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS.
ADDITIONALLY, EACH SUBDISTRICT WILL HAVE, UH, SPECIFIC REGULATIONS FOR EACH ONE, INCLUDING HEIGHT ALLOWANCES, SOME SPECIFIC SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS, AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS, AND COMMITTEE BENEFIT REQUIREMENTS THAT MAY APPLY.
OUR PROPOSED APPLICABILITY FOR UNO, UH, IS SHOWN ON THE SCREEN.
UH, THE YELLOW OUTLINING SHOWS THE EXISTING BOUNDARY AND BLUE SHOWS THE PROPOSED BOUNDARY.
WE ARE EXPANDING THE AREA WITHIN UNO TO INCLUDE COMMERCIAL AND MULTIFAMILY PROPERTIES DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO CURRENT BOUNDARIES.
AGAIN, UNO IS A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM, SO, UH, PEOPLE WOULD HAVE TO OPT INTO THE PROGRAM TO REDEVELOP UNDER THE PROGRAM AND WOULD NOT AFFECT THEIR BASE ZONING.
UM, AND PROPERTIES WILL BE MAPPED TO A SPECIFIC SUBDISTRICT, UH, AS PART OF THESE AMENDMENTS.
SO TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS THAT ARE UNCHANGED, UH, IF YOU PARTICIPATE IN UNO, THE FOLLOWING, UH, STANDARDS ARE EXEMPT.
SO MAXIMUM FLORIDA, FLORIDA AREA RATIO IS EXEMPT.
UH, BUILDING COVERAGE SITE AREA AMONGST A COUPLE OTHERS.
THE STREET WALL THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS, WHICH REQUIRES A 24 FOOT MINIMUM HEIGHT FOR A WALL ALONG THE STREET AS WELL AS A 12 FOOT STEP BACK REQUIRED AT A HEIGHT OF 65 FEET, WILL CONTINUE TO EXIST AS WELL.
UM, AND OCCUPANT SPACE WILL BE CONTINUED TO BE DESIGNED IN THE SAME WAY, DEFINED THE SAME WAY.
SOME OF THE SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS THAT WE ARE PROPOSING TO MODIFY INCLUDE STREET SCAPE REQUIREMENTS, WHICH WILL BE, UH, CHANGING FROM A 12 FOOT SIDEWALK THAT IS REQUIRED TO A PEDESTRIAN ZONE DIMENSION PRESCRIBED BY THE TRANSPORTATION CRITERIA MANUAL, UH, WHICH IS GREATER THAN 12 FEET IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT IT GOES FROM 12 TO DIFFERENT SIZES DEPENDING ON WHAT STREET LEVEL YOU MIGHT BE ON.
UM, SETBACKS ARE MODIFIED SLIGHTLY, UH, THERE'S NO MINIMUM, BUT WE ARE PROVIDING A PROVISION THAT, UH, THERE MIGHT BE A SETBACK REQUIRED IF, UH, ADEQUATE FIRE ACCESS IS NOT AVAILABLE.
AND SO TO ACCOMMODATE FOR THAT.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE ARE CHANGING BUILDING DESIGN TO INCREASE FROM ONE STAR RATING REQUIRED TO TWO STAR ENER, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING REQUIRED, UM, AS WELL AS SOME ENHANCED SCREENING OF TRASH RECEPTACLES AND ABOVE GROUND PARKING.
WE ARE PROPOSING SOME NEW PARKING STANDARDS.
UM, SO THERE WILL BE MAXIMUM PARKING ALLOWANCE AT 40% OF WHAT IS FORMALLY REQUIRED BY APPENDIX A.
UM, YOU MAY EXCEED THIS MAXIMUM TO 60% IF HALF OF THAT PARKING IS PROVIDED AS UNDERGROUND PARKING.
UM, IF YOU ALL ARE FAMILIAR WHAT WAS PASSED LAST YEAR FOR DOWNTOWN PARKING, UH, MINIMUMS OR MAXIMUMS, I GUESS, UH, IT IS VERY SIMILAR OR IS THE SAME BASIS AS THAT BICYCLE PARKING, AGAIN, IS ALSO BEING INCREASED TO THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF LONG, LONG-TERM BICYCLE PARKING, UH, REQUIRED IN THE TCM.
UM, SO MINIMUM OF FIVE SPACES ARE 15%, UM, WHICHEVER IS GREATER.
UH, ADDITIONALLY WE'RE PROPOSING SOME NEW LEASE AND REDEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS.
UH, AS PART OF THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, THERE WILL BE THE DENSITY, BONUS LEASE AND REDEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS THAT CURRENTLY EXIST IN CODE CHAPTER
[00:25:01]
FOUR 18.ARTICLE TWO, WHICH REQUIRES DISPERSION OF AFFORDABLE UNITS AND EQUAL ACCESS TO AMENITIES, UH, REQUIRES TENANT PROTECTIONS AND REDEVELOPMENT REQUIREMENTS OF EXISTING MULTIFAMILY AND CERTAIN COMMERCIAL USES.
UM, AND THEN WE ARE PROPOSING TO BRING AMENDMENTS TO FOUR 18.
THAT WOULD HAVE RESTRICTIONS ON EARLY LEASING.
AK LIMITING THE WINDOW OF PRE-LEASE AND LEASE RENEWAL OFFERS A SOME DELAY OF OCCUPANCY ACCOMMODATIONS, WHICH WOULD ESTABLISH A BASELINE OF ACCOMMODATIONS FOR TENANTS WHOSE UNITS ARE NOT READY, UH, FOR OCCUPANCY BY THE START OF THEIR LEASE TERM, UH, AS WELL AS WINDOWLESS BEDROOM PROHIBITION.
UM, SO PARTICIPANT DEVELOPMENTS WOULD COMMIT TO NO, UH, OR TO EXTERIOR WINDOWS IN ALL BEDROOMS, I GUESS.
SO DIVING INTO THE PROPOSED SUBDISTRICTS, UH, HERE ON THE MAP YOU'LL SEE THE, THE EXISTING SUBDISTRICTS.
WE HAVE THE FOUR I OR YEAH, FOUR I MENTIONED, UH, OUTER WEST, WHICH HAS A VARYING HEIGHT BETWEEN 50 TO 145 FEET OF HEIGHT IN OUR WEST, WHICH HAD 300 FEET OF HEIGHT.
GUADALUPE WITH 85, ADOBE WITH 60.
UH, THE REASON FOR THE VARYING OF THE HEIGHTS IS AT THE TIME IT WAS A HEIGHT MAP THAT WAS ESTABLISHED WITH DIFFERENT BONUSES.
UM, SO IT VARIES KIND OF BETWEEN OUTER WEST WHAT EACH SITE MIGHT ACTUALLY ACHIEVE.
OUR PROPOSED SUBDISTRICTS ARE FOLLOWING THE COUNCIL'S DIRECTION TO INCREASE THE HEIGHT LIMITS.
UH, HEIGHT LIMITS ALLOWANCES WILL BE BASED ON AN INCREASE FROM THE HEIGHT ALLOWED UNDER THEIR BASE ZONING.
UM, AND SO WE ARE PROPOSING THREE SUBDISTRICTS OUTER WEST, WHICH WILL HAVE A HEIGHT, A MAXIMUM HEIGHT OF 90 FEET INNER WEST, WHICH WOULD HAVE A MAXIMUM HEIGHT OF 420 FEET.
AND TRANSIT CORE, A NEW TRANSIT CORE, UH, WHICH WOULD HAVE A MAXIMUM OF 600 FEET.
AND AGAIN, I WILL GO INTO MORE DETAIL ON THE SUBDISTRICTS.
SO TRANSIT CORE IS THE CLOSEST TO CAMPUS, UH, ADJACENT TO UT.
AND IT IS LOCATED, UH, ADJACENT TO THE PROPOSED LIGHT RAIL ALIGNMENT.
WE HAVE THE HIGHEST DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THIS AREA, AND IT INCORPORATES PARTS OF THE PREVIOUS ADOBE GUADALUPE AND INTERWEST SUBDISTRICTS.
INTERWEST SUBDISTRICT IS THE NEXT CLOSEST SUBDISTRICT TO THE CAMPUS.
AND THE LIGHT RAIL, UH, IT IS ALSO HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL.
IT EXPANDS THE EXISTING INNER WEST AND INCREASES THE BUILDING HEIGHT.
IT, IT FALLS GENERALLY WITHIN CAMPUS SHUTTLE ROUTES.
UH, AGAIN, ON THE MAP YOU CAN SEE THE OUTLINE OF THE EXISTING, UH, INNER WEST AND THE PROPOSED OUTER WEST IN, OR SORRY, INNER WEST IN RED.
UH, SO SOME OF THE SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR THESE TWO SUB-DISTRICTS, AS I MENTIONED, ARE THE HEIGHT BONUS.
SO FOR TRANSIT CORE, YOU WOULD HAVE A BONUS THAT WOULD ALLOW A MAXIMUM HEIGHT OF 600, AND FOR INTERWEST A MAXIMUM OF FOUR 20, UH, IMPERVIOUS COVER WOULD REMAIN THE SAME AS IT IS AT A HUNDRED PERCENT.
THE USES ARE VERY SIMILAR IN RESIDENTIAL AND LOCAL USES WITH TRANSIT COURT ALLOWING FOR HOTEL MOTEL WITH SOME LIMITATIONS ABOVE.
GROUND PARKING MAXIMUM IS BEING PROPOSED AS THREE STORIES MAXIMUM ABOVE GROUND.
THERE WILL BE A REQUIREMENT TO PROVIDE A COMMUNITY BENEFIT OF A CHOICE OF ONE FROM A MENU, WHICH I WILL SHOW IN IN A SECOND, UH, ON TOP OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
AND THERE WILL BE A NEW STANDARD FOR TOWER SPACING, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE A STEP BACK OF 20 FEET, UM, FOR ANY PORTION OF THE BUILDING THAT IS AT A HEIGHT OF 120 OR GREATER.
AND AGAIN, I'LL HAVE MORE DETAILS ON THAT IN A SECOND.
SO, AS I MENTIONED, TRANSIT CORE AND INNER WEST DEVELOPMENTS WILL HAVE TO PROVIDE ONE OF, UH, THE MENU OF OPTIONS THAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE.
SO THAT INCLUDES PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED COMMERCIAL SPACES, A GROCERY STORE USE TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, WHICH IS ONLY AVAILABLE IN TRANSIT COURSES SUPPORTING LIGHT RAIL, UH, ONSITE WATER USE SYSTEM OR GREEN ROOF.
AND EACH DEVELOPMENT, AGAIN, WOULD'VE TO CHOOSE ONE TO PROVIDE.
GOING INTO THE TOWER SPACING, WE ARE, UH, SETBACK, WE'RE PROPOSING.
SO CURRENTLY IN UNO, UH, THE STANDARDS AND THE DEVELOPMENT IS REALLY ENCOURAGING TO BUILDING ALMOST PROPERTY LINE TO PROPERTY LINE, CREATING SPACES WITH VERY NARROW SPACES BETWEEN THE NEW BUILDINGS.
SO OUR PROPOSAL IS TO CREATE A TOWER SPACING STEP BACK, WHICH WOULD BE 40 FEET ABOVE 120 FEET IN HEIGHT FROM AN EXISTING BUILDING OF 120 FEET OR 20 FEET FROM A PARCEL WHERE THAT IS ALLOWED TO BUILD ABOVE 120, THERE'S AN ALLOWANCE.
IF THE LOT FRONTAGE ON THE STREET IS UNDER A HUNDRED FEET, THEN THE MAXIMUM BUILDING COVERAGE FOR PORTIONS ABOVE 120 IS 65%.
SO INSTEAD OF A STRICT NUMBER OF STEP BACK, YOU'RE RESTRICTED TO HOW MUCH YOU CAN BUILD ON YOUR LOT IF YOU HAVE A SMALL LOT, BUT YOU'RE NOT, UH, SET TO A SET NUMBER.
SO THERE'S MORE FLEXIBILITY FOR SMALL LOTS.
MOVING ON TO OUTER WEST, UH, AGAIN, THIS IS THE THIRD, UH, YOU KNOW, SLIGHTLY FURTHER, FURTHER AWAY FROM CAMPUS.
IT IS, YOU KNOW, 15 TO 20 MINUTE WALK TO CAMPUS WITH ACCESS TO TRANSIT.
IT HAS MORE OF A MID-RISE DEVELOPMENT PATTERN AND MORE RESIDENTIAL
[00:30:01]
IN CHARACTER.IT PROVIDES A BALANCE BETWEEN THE DENSER SUBDISTRICTS CLOSER TO UNIVERSITY AND LOWER DENSITY NEIGHBORHOODS TO THE WEST.
AGAIN, ON THE MAP, YOU CAN SEE IN THE YELLOW OUTLINE, UH, THE BOUNDARY OF THE EXISTING OUTER WEST AS WELL AS THE BOUNDARY FOR THE PROPOSED OUTER WEST.
THE SITE DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS FOR OUTER WEST WOULD BE A MAXIMUM HEIGHT OF 90 FEET THAT COULD BE ACHIEVED, UM, ABOVE GROUND PARKING OF TWO STORIES.
AND ANY DEVELOPMENT IN THIS AREA WOULD NOT HAVE TO PROVIDE THE ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY BENEFIT.
UH, BEYOND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UH, COMPATIBILITY WOULD APPLY TO ANY PROPERTY THAT, UH, IS, UH, ADJACENT TO A TRIGGERING PROPERTY WITHIN UNO.
SO THERE ARE NO WITHIN UNO, BUT THERE MIGHT BE, UH, PROPERTIES THAT TRIGGER COMPATIBILITY ALONG THE PROPOSED EXPANSION AS THERE MIGHT BE SINGLE FAMILY USES ADJACENT TO THOSE AND CITYWIDE STANDARDS WOULD APPLY.
I, WE ARE PROPOSING TO MODIFY THE AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS WITHIN UNO.
SO CURRENTLY, UH, PROJECTS WITHIN UNO, UH, HAVE TO PROVIDE A SET PORTION OF THEIR BEDROOMS OR UNITS AT EITHER 50% OR 60%.
MFI WE ARE PROPOSING TO LIMIT THE 50 AND 60% ALLOWANCE AND ONLY, UH, ALLOW FOR THE 50% RENTAL RATE FOR EITHER BEDROOMS OR UNITS.
UH, WE ARE PROPOSING THE FOLLOWING, UH, AFFORDABILITY REQUIREMENTS.
SO AGAIN, ALL OF THE UNITS WILL BE AT A 50% MFI.
UM, FOR BOTH TRANSIT CORE AND INNER WEST, THERE WILL BE A TIER ONE WHERE YOU WILL PROVIDE EITHER 20% OF YOUR BEDROOMS OR 10% OF YOUR UNITS FOR THE 240 FEET OF HEIGHT.
AND A, UH, SECOND PORTION OF 10% OF BEDROOMS OR 5% OF YOUR UNITS ABOVE THAT, UM, UP UNTIL THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT YOU CAN, UH, BUILD IN YOURS.
AND THEN IN OUTER WEST, IT IS JUST ONE TIER.
SO 20% OF THE BEDROOMS OR 10% OF THE UNITS FOR THAT HEIGHT.
UH, LIKELY DEVELOPMENT OUTCOMES, YOU KNOW, WE, WE FORESEE FOR THESE DIFFERENT SUBDISTRICTS.
SO TRANSIT CORE WILL HAVE HIGH RISE RESIDENTIAL, YOU KNOW, 30 TO 50 STORIES WITH GROUND FLOOR ACTIVATION.
TYPICAL OF WHAT WE SEE IN CURRENT UNO SINCE 2019.
UH, INNER WEST IS SIMILAR, WHERE YOU SEE DEVELOPMENTS SIMILAR TO CURRENT UNO OR NORTH BRUNET GATEWAY.
UM, AND THEN OUTER WEST IS LIKELY TO SEE MIDRISE RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS WITH SOME GROUND FLOOR ACTIVATION AS WELL, TYPICAL OF MUELLER, UM, OUTER WEST UNO, VMU OR OR OTHER TODS.
SO TOUCHING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HISTORIC PRESERVATION WITHIN UNO.
UM, WE, YOU KNOW, STARTING HISTORIC REVIEWS WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED FOR ANY REVIEW OF HISTORIC LANDMARKS OR DIS OR ANY DISTRICTS WITHIN UNO REVIEWS FOR DEMOLITIONS OF, YOU KNOW, 45 PLUS YEAR OLD BUILDINGS WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE NORMAL PROCESS.
THE AIM OF UNO IS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL HEIGHT LIMITS TO INCREASE HOUSING CAPACITIES AND ALLOW CHURCHES AND OTHER HISTORIC PROPERTIES TO REMAIN IN THE AREA AND THEN NOT FEEL THE PRESSURE TO REDEVELOP.
UM, EXISTING UNO, UH, HAS SEEN ACTUALLY PARTICIPATION FROM TWO CHURCHES AND THERE IS ONE ADDITIONAL SITE PLAN IN REVIEW FOR THEM TO USE, UH, THE UNO PROGRAM TO DEVELOP PORTIONS OF THEIR PROPERTY WHILE MAINTAINING THE CHURCH.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, UH, SITES MAY REQUEST TO BE REMOVED FROM THE NEW PROPOSED UNO REZONING, UM, AS PART OF THIS PROCESS.
LAST COUPLE SLIDES, UH, ENGAGEMENT AND TIMELINE.
SO WE'VE DONE A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT AS I MENTIONED.
UH, WE WERE ASKED BY A COUNCIL TO DO SO.
SO WE'VE HAD A LOT OF SMALL GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS WITH STAKEHOLDERS.
UM, WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE, UH, TWO SURVEYS, UM, SENT OVER TO OVER 6,000 INDIVIDUALS IN GROUPS WITH OVER 300 RESPONSES ON EACH OF OUR SURVEYS.
UM, WE WILL HAVE A OPEN HOUSE, UH, THIS WEEK, TOMORROW ACTUALLY, UM, AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, TEXAS UNION, UM, FROM SIX TO 8:00 PM AND SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE HAVE HEARD SO FAR, UM, INCLUDES ADJUSTING ABOVE GRADE PARKING MAXIMUMS, ADJUSTING SOME OF THE TOWER SPACING REQUIREMENTS, REMOVING PARCELS WITHIN CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE BUFFERS, AS WELL AS ADJUSTING PROPOSED APPLICABILITY BOUNDARIES.
UM, AND ACTUALLY FOR THIS PRESENTATION, WE HAVE ALREADY REMOVED A FEW OF THE PARCELS THAT WERE WITHIN CRITERIA ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE BUFFERS.
SO THOSE ARE NO AC, NOT ACTUALLY, THEY WERE PART OF OUTER WEST.
UM, AND THEY HAVE BEEN REMOVED.
UM, AGAIN, JUST TOUCHING BASED ON THE TIMELINE.
UM, LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE GONE TO COJC IN MARCH.
WE HAVE OUR OPEN HOUSE, UH, TOMORROW.
WE WILL BE BRIEFING PLANNING COMMISSION NEXT WEEK, UH, WITH A OFFICIAL PUBLIC HEARING ON APRIL 22ND AND SCHEDULED TO GO TO COUNCIL ON MAY 8TH.
AND ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[00:35:01]
TO SAY I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL ON SHORT NOTICE MAKING THE EXTRA EFFORT TO COME HERE.UH, I REALLY WAS QUITE IMPRESSED WITH THE PROGRAM.
UH, I THINK IT BUILDS ON SOME OF THE SUCCESS THAT THE UNIVERSITY NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAY HAS ALREADY DEVELOPED IN MAKING A LOT OF ACCOMMODATIONS THAT CLEARLY THAT'S A UNIQUE PART OF TOWN.
UM, BUT AS WE DISCUSSED OFFLINE, WHEN YOU PRESENTED TO THE, UH, A I A, UH, COMMITTEES, UH, I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT WE HAVE A NUMBER OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES WITHIN THAT ZONE IN ALL OF THOSE DISTRICTS.
AND THEN SOME SIGNIFICANT CHURCHES THAT MAY NOT BE ON IN OUR PROGRAM IS LANDMARKS, BUT MEET ALL OUR CRITERIA AND CERTAINLY ARE WORTHY OF PRESERVATION MM-HMM
AND BECOME PART OF OUR, UH, UH, BASICALLY COMMUNITY LEGACY.
AND I, I THINK THE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE THAT WILL BE FELT EITHER FINANCIALLY BECAUSE OF THE, YOU KNOW, ONE IN TWO STORY BUILDINGS ADJACENT IN SOME CASES TO, UH, 30 OR 40 STORY BUILDINGS, UM, OR JUST EVEN THE PHYSICAL, UH, ADJACENCY AND HOW THAT'S DONE, I THINK THE SETBACK CERTAINLY WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BUT, UH, WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF HAVING A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THOSE PROPERTIES.
SO, UH, I, I'M GONNA THROW IT OPEN TO THE COMMISSIONERS.
UH, YOU ALL MAY HAVE BEEN SEEING THIS FOR THE FIRST TIME, BUT, UH, IF YOU HAVE SOME IMPRESSIONS BECAUSE OF THE SHORT TIMEFRAME FOR THIS TO COME IN FRONT OF COUNSEL, I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR, AT THE VERY LEAST, UH, FOR US TO AT LEAST GET MORE FEEDBACK FROM YOU.
AND THEN WE ARE POSTED FOR, UH, BEING ABLE TO TAKE ACTION IF THERE ARE SOME SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS OR AN ENDORSEMENT OR WHATEVER WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IN RESPONSE TO THIS BRIEFING.
SO I'LL, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE COMMISSIONERS IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
I WAS GONNA ASK ABOUT PRESERVATION, BUT YOU FINALLY GOT TO IT ON THE, UH, NEXT JULY SLIDE AND IT'S PRETTY MUCH STATUS QUO FOR THE HISTORIC PROPERTIES THERE.
THIS IS GONNA BE A HUGE PRESSURE ON THEM.
WAS THERE ANY REVIEW OF, DO WE HAVE SURVEYS IN THIS AREA? IS THERE A SURVEY DONE FOR THIS AREA?
YEAH, IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO NOTE IF THERE WAS A SURVEY, UM, I'M ASSUMING IT WASN'T REFERENCED.
YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVE A LOT OF GOALS YOU'RE TRYING TO MEET HERE WITH TRANSIT AND, AND DENSITY AND, UH, KEEPING PEOPLE OFF THE ROADS.
BUT I AGREE THIS IS KIND OF LIKE ANOTHER RAINY STREET WHERE YOU'RE TAKING AN AREA THAT'S PRETTY DENSE IN HISTORIC PROPERTIES AND REALLY INCENTIVIZING TOWER CONSTRUCTION.
I THINK THEY'RE AT ODDS WITH EACH OTHER.
THE ONLY THING I COULD THINK OF IS TRANSFER DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS.
WAS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION OF TO ENCOURAGE PRESERVATION TO OFFER THE OWNERS OF TRANSFER DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS WITHIN, WITHIN THE UNO? BECAUSE TYPICALLY THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE MUCH OF A MARKET FOR THE HEIGHT ANYWHERE ELSE, BUT HERE WHERE PEOPLE ARE PROBABLY GONNA BE TRYING TO BUILD AS HIGH AS THEY CAN.
IT SEEMS LIKE YOU HAVE BOTH A MARKET AND POSSIBLY, UH, A SELLER FOR TDR OR TDRS, UH, FOR UNO, BUT KIM WANTED TO, YEAH.
SO SOMETHING I WANTED TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF IS THAT WE ARE IN ACTIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH COLLEAGUES IN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT ABOUT A TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS MARKET STUDY, SO THAT WE CAN EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY OF THAT IN AUSTIN AS PART OF A COMPREHENSIVE OVERHAUL OF OUR INCENTIVE PROGRAM AS, UM, YOU KNOW, AS STATED IN THE PLAN, UM, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING A CONSULTANT ON BOARD, SO IT IS HAPPENING.
UM, IT IS, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY NOT, UM, IN ADVANCE OF, OF THIS ITEM, BUT I DID WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT IT IS SOMETHING WE'RE ACTIVELY LOOKING AT.
THAT IS A RECOMMENDATION THAT WAS IN OUR DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN, IF YOU MIGHT REMEMBER.
UM, YOU KNOW, OVER, OVER 15, 15 YEARS AGO NOW.
UM, AND THE CITY DIDN'T MOVE ON IT.
UM, WE DON'T KNOW YET IF IT'S FEASIBLE, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HOPE TO LOOK AT AND IT WOULD BE A CITYWIDE STUDY.
UH, UH, LET ME ALSO SUGGEST THAT, UM, REMIND THE COMMISSIONERS, THE EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN, UH, MAKES THAT ALSO A HIGH PRIORITY IN TERMS OF OUR IMMEDIATE ACTIONS.
AND I THINK IN THIS CASE, MY ONLY WORRY IS THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE THE EXTRA BONUS, UH, CONNECTED TO SOME OTHER PUBLIC BENEFITS.
UM, I WOULD HATE TO HAVE, UH, ALL OF THAT PACKAGED, UH, ONCE IT'S OUT THERE AND ADOPTED.
UH, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UM, USE THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS AS A FURTHER INCENTIVE BECAUSE WE'D
[00:40:01]
ALREADY BASICALLY GIVEN THEM AWAY, UH, AS IT WERE.SO, I, I, I THINK THE TIMING IS AWKWARD FOR US, UH, BECAUSE AS MUCH AS WE'D LIKE TO SEE THIS MAKE PROGRESS, THERE'S LOTS OF REASONS WHY, UH, YOUR EFFORTS, UH, CERTAINLY SHOULD BE APPLAUDED.
UH, AND I THINK EVEN THE WAY YOU'RE DOING THE OUTER, UH, WILL PROBABLY TAKE SOME OF THE PRESSURE OFF PERHAPS BECAUSE YOU ARE BEING MORE REASONABLE ABOUT SOME OF THE SETBACKS AND CONTINUING, UH, TO MAINTAIN CAMP COMPATIBILITY.
BUT I DO THINK THAT THE, THE MORE DENSE DISTRICTS, UH, AND THE PROPERTIES THERE, UH, I KNOW A COUPLE THAT I COULD JUST THINK OF OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD THAT CAUSED ME GREAT CONCERN.
YOU ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT SURVEY.
WE DID JUST CONFIRM THAT, UM, ONE OF OUR SURVEYS, WHICH IS SORT OF GUADALUPE AREA, DID COVER THIS AREA OF THE DRAG, UM, YOU KNOW, OF, OF WHAT CAMPUS.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE WE SHOULD ADD? THERE'S VERY FEW PROTECTED IN TERMS OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES, WHICH I'M SURE YOU KNOW.
UM, AND CERTAINLY WE HAVE CHALLENGES FROM THE, UH, LEG FROM THE TEXAS LEGISLATURE, UH, WITH LANDMARKING CHURCHES AGAINST THE, YOU KNOW, AGAINST THEIR, UH, OBJECTION.
AND YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE LONG BEFORE UNO.
UM, THERE ARE SEVERAL VERY DISTINCTIVE CHURCHES FROM, UH, THE MODERN PERIOD THAT NO LONGER EXIST.
UM, BECAUSE ONE OF THOSE OPTIONS THAT A CHURCH CAN TAKE IF THEY WERE TO HARNESS THESE DEVELOPMENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, ST AUSTIN'S USED THEIR PARKING LOT AND THEY KEPT THEIR CHURCH, BUT YOU COULD JUST AS EASILY, UH, DO WHAT, UH, OTHER CHURCHES HAVE DONE AND BASICALLY IN INSERT THE NEW CHURCH INTO A MODERN 30, 40, 50 STORY BUILDING NOW.
UM, AND, AND THE ECONOMICS OF THAT MIGHT BE, SO IF, IF IT'S AN ALL OR NOTHING, IF WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO TRANSFER DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS TO OFFER ANY INCENTIVE FOR THESE SMALLER ONE OR TWO STORY BUILDINGS TO MAINTAIN, I JUST THINK WE'LL LOSE THEM ALL.
UH, WE APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO WORK WITH US ON THIS, EVEN AS WE ARE TRYING TO CATCH UP, UH, BY LOOKING AT THE DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS PROGRAMS FROM OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE IN HELPING HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
ANYTHING ELSE? YES, JUST, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN CONSIDER A TRANSFER DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS, BUT HAVING MIKED DOWN THAT PATH RECENTLY AND SAW SEEING SOME OF THE CASES THAT CAME BEFORE US WHERE YOU HAVE A HISTORIC HOUSE NEXT TO A TOWER, IT IS A LITTLE BIT DISCOMBOBULATING, BUT SOMETIMES THEY'RE USED AS, YOU KNOW, AMENITIES AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE USED AS, UM, COMMERCIAL SERVICES FOR THE ADJACENT BUILDING.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF A SINGLE OWNER COULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN A PRESERVATION INCENTIVE IF THEY WERE TO BUY A LARGE SECTION THAT HAD HISTORIC PROPERTY ON IT.
COULD THEY GET POSSIBLY MORE HEIGHT IN EXCHANGE FOR SAVING HISTORIC PROPERTY ON SITE WITH WITHIN THE SITE? THAT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE TDR, I GUESS, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS AN OPTION TO CONSIDER.
UM, IT, I WOULD HAVE TO CHECK WITH LEGAL FOR THAT.
UM, DUE TO THE NATURE OF THAT, NOT EVERY SITE WOULD BE ABLE TO USE THAT.
IT MIGHT NOT BE FEASIBLE FOR A DENSITY BONUS.
DENSITY BONUS PROGRAMS ARE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT HOW THEY MUST FUNCTION LEGALLY.
UM, AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF REQUIREMENTS THAT LAW HAS FOR HOW, UH, A DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM SPECIFICALLY WORKS IN COMPARISON TO KIND OF OTHER OVER LASER PROGRAMS IN GENERAL.
THAT'S THE REAL REASONS WHY SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE HARD.
AND I WOULD, I WOULD JUST ASK STAFF IF THEY COULD SEND THE SURVEY TO ALL THE COMMISSIONERS SO WE CAN KIND OF SEE WHAT ARE GONNA BE SOON, UH, HIGH PRESSURE SITES AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PLAN IS TO KIND OF SIT HERE UNTIL SOMEONE'S BOUGHT IT AND PLANS TO BUILD A TOWER ON IT, AND THEN, THEN WE MAKE THE DECISION.
BUT IF WE CAN POSSIBLY BE PROACTIVE, SEE, SEE WHAT'S KIND OF AT RISK HERE, UH, THE COMMISSION MAY BE ABLE TO BRING SOME ITEMS FORWARD IF WE THINK THERE'S SOMETHING OF EXTREME CONCERN.
I DO HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT THE CHURCHES IN THAT AREA, WHEREAS BUSINESSES COME AND GO, UH, CONSTANTLY, THOSE CHURCHES HAVE BEEN IN THAT AREA FOR GENERATIONS.
AND I WONDER ABOUT THE IMPACT OF, OF PARKING, UH, IN, IN THOSE AREAS, LIKE, LIKE THE, THE CONVENIENCE OF PARISHIONERS WHO ATTEND THOSE CHURCHES.
HOW EASY IS IT FOR THEM TO FIND PARKING? UH, IT PROBABLY DEPENDS ON WHAT CHURCH YOU SPEAK TO, BUT I, I DO KNOW SOME OF THEM HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT BEING ABLE TO FIND PARKING FOR THEIR, UH, PARISHIONERS.
UM, AND SO THAT IS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE REQUESTS WAS CONSIDERING LOOKING AT A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE MAXIMUM PARKING.
I LIKE, I I I LOOK AT A CHURCH, LIKE I WAS AT A CONCERT AT UNIVERSITY PRESBYTERIAN, UH, A FEW MONTHS AGO, AND THE PARKING SITUATION, IT WAS, UM, IT WAS, IT WAS A CHALLENGE.
I'LL SAY THAT IT WAS A CHALLENGE JUST TO NAME A FEW, BUT THERE'S SEVERAL, UH, HISTORIC CHURCHES, UH, WITH WITHIN THOSE
[00:45:01]
AREAS AND I'M, I'M A BIT CONCERNED ABOUT, ABOUT THEM BECAUSE THEY, THEY HAVE BEEN THERE AND LIKE I SAID, WHEREAS BUSINESSES WILL COME AND GO, WELL THEN THOSE, THOSE CONGREGATIONS HAVE BEEN THERE FOR GENERATIONS IN SOME CASES SUCH AS, UH, UNIVERSITY BAPTIST, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OVER 100 YEARS.THERE'S ALREADY A DENSITY BONUS OR UNIVERSITY UNITED METHODIST CURRENT PROGRAM, UH, CALLAN.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS SOME HISTORIC PRESERVATION SORT OF COMMUNITY BENEFIT BUILT INTO SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS. I DON'T KNOW HAVE THE SPECIFICS.
AND SO WE'LL LOOK INTO THAT AND SEE IF WE CAN CONFIRM WITH ALAN.
UM, YOU'D MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT SIDE, SO WE'LL LOOK INTO THAT.
UM, SO IN LOOKING AT THAT, I KNOW THAT THE HEIGHTS WERE RAISED FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO IN THE MIDDLE SECTION WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO BUILD FROM ABOUT 15 STORIES AND THEY WENT UP TO 30.
IN FACT, SOME OF THE DRAWINGS WERE ACTUALLY CHANGED MID DRAWING AND MID CONSTRUCTION PREPARATION FOR IT.
AND NOW THAT A LOT OF THAT ZONE ON SITES THAT ARE KIND OF BIG ENOUGH TO BUILD ON AND THAT DON'T TAKE, YOU KNOW, A BUNCH OF LOTS BEING COMBINED HAVE ALMOST LIKE BEEN USED AND I THINK 22ND SAN ANTONIO IS BEING BUILT RIGHT NOW.
IT'S ONE OF THE LAST TOWERS BEING BUILT OVER THERE THAT'S TALL.
UM, HAVE YOU GUYS LOOKED AT KIND OF DEVELOPERS IN THAT ARE IN SEEING, LIKE WHAT IS, WHAT IS THE RATE OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA JUMP ON THIS ADDED HEIGHT IN THESE ZONES? BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE, I KNOW THE GOAL WAS THE RATE TO PUT 28,000 MORE PEOPLE OVER THERE, BUT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS AT UT AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF PLACES THAT ARE ALREADY OVER THERE FOR THEM TO LIVE, PLUS THE DORMS, PLUS PEOPLE THAT WILL NEVER LIVE IN WEST CAMPUS, I DON'T KNOW WHERE 28,000 PEOPLE ARE GONNA COME FROM.
SO JUST TO COVER 28,000 WAS WHAT HAS THE GROWTH THAT HAS OCCURRED OR MM-HMM
THE POPULATION THAT EXISTS IN WEST CAMPUS SINCE UNO BASICALLY.
UM, WE DID DO A HOUSING CAPACITY ANALYSIS, UM, AND WE LOOKED AT, YOU KNOW, EXISTING HOUSING, UH, POPULATION AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF STUDENT POPULATION.
UM, AND THAT'S HOW WE DETERMINED THE DIFFERENT HEIGHTS IN AREAS WE LOOKED AT WHAT SITES ARE LIKELY TO REDEVELOP.
UM, AND JUST FOR REFERENCE FOR THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, WE DID NOT INCLUDE HISTORIC LANDMARKS IN THAT CALCULATION.
SO WE'RE NOT ANTICIPATING THOSE BEING THE SITES THAT WOULD REDEVELOPED TO ALLOW FOR THE ADDITIONAL HOUSING, UM, IN THE AREA.
UM, I GUESS A COUPLE MORE, UH, THINGS IS THAT I GUESS I, IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER, BUT FIRSTLY, I DON'T KNOW THAT THROWING A PICTURE OF RAINY STREET AND HIGH RISES IS GONNA MAKE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAPPY.
THEY SEEM TO REMEMBER THE GREATNESS THAT WAS RAINY STREET BEFORE IT WAS, IT WAS, UH, BUILT UP.
AND THEN SECONDLY, ALMOST ALL OF THE TOWERS THAT WERE BUILT IN THAT MIDDLE ZONE, ESPECIALLY AS THEY WENT HIGHER, HAVE, AND I KNOW YOU, YOU COVERED IT ON, ON THIS, UM, A LITTLE BIT, THEY OFFER ALMOST NOTHING TO THE PUBLIC.
THEY HAVE, UH, PRIVATE LOBBY THINGS, BUT IT'S REALLY THE MID RISES OVER THERE IN WEST CAMPUS THAT HAVE ACTUAL RESTAURANTS AND, AND GROCERY STORES AND THINGS IN THEM.
AND I SAW THAT THERE WAS A REQUIREMENT WHERE YOU'RE GONNA ACTUALLY HAVE TO HAVE THINGS AT THE STREET LEVEL, OR THERE WAS LIKE A MENU OF PEOPLE THAT ARE PICKING THINGS, BUT IS THERE, HOW MUCH OF IT'S A DRIVE TO REQUIRE STREET LEVEL RETAIL AND STUFF? I SAW AN 8,000 SQUARE FOOT GROCERY REQUIREMENT.
SO FOR, FOR TRANSIT CORE AND INTERWEST, THE TWO MORE INTENSE, UH, SUBDISTRICTS THERE IS ONE OF THE OPTIONS IS TO PROVIDE 75% OF YOUR FRONTAGE AS COMMERCIAL RETAIL.
UM, PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY COMMERCIAL RETAIL.
UM, FOR OUTER WEST THAT DOES NOT EXIST.
HOWEVER, THEY STILL HAVE TO PROVIDE 75% OF THEIR FRONTAGE AS OCCUPANT SPACE, UH, AND RETAIL.
SO IT INCLUDES MORE SPACES THAT INTERIOR TO THE BUILDING.
UM, AND THE NATURE OF THAT IS SOME OF THE BUILDINGS IN, OR SORRY, SOME OF THE SITES IN UNO ARE QUITE SMALL.
AND SO WHEN YOU ACCOUNT FOR JUST A LOBBY, A A GARAGE ENTRANCE AND SOMETIMES MECHANICAL OR YOU KNOW, INFRASTRUCTURE SPACES, THERE REALLY ISN'T ACTUALLY 75% LEFT TO A LOT, UH, YOU KNOW, BE REQUIRED.
SO IT'S, THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT A STRICT REQUIREMENT MM-HMM
COMMISSIONERS, ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? OKAY.
AND TWO, WHAT IS CONSIDERED AFFORDABLE? UM, WE COULD PULL IT UP AGAIN.
BUT SO, UH, IT IS SET TO A 50% MFI RENTAL RATE.
UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, THIS YEAR, BECAUSE IT CHANGES ANNUALLY, UH, THE BEDROOM WOULD BE RENTED AT $882.
UM, AND IF IT IS RENTED BY THE UNIT INSTEAD OF THE BEDROOM, WHICH AGAIN, VERY FEW ARE, MOST OF 'EM IS STUDENT HOUSING, SO IT'S BY THE BEDROOM.
[00:50:01]
IT FOLLOWS KIND OF OUR OTHER AFFORDABLE, UH, PROGRAMS, WHICH I CAN TELL YOU IN A SECOND WHAT THOSE RENTAL RATES ARE.UM, FOR A ONE BEDROOM IS 1100, FOR A TWO BEDROOM IS 1263 BEDROOM IS 1417.
UM, AND THEY'RE PULLING UP IN A SECOND.
AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S AS OF NOW AND THAT'S OBVIOUSLY IT MOVES AS YES, IT CHANGES ANNUALLY.
SO IT'S SET UP THE 50% MFI, WHICH IS THE MEAN AND FAMILY INCOME, BUT THAT NUMBER SPECIFIC NUMBER WILL CHANGE ANNUALLY AS, AS THE MFI CHANGES, BUT RIGHT.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, THIS IS A, UH, BRIEFING, SO THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC HEARING, UM, BUT WE ARE POSTED IF, UH, ANYONE IS SO INCLINED, UH, WE CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION AND TAKE ACTION ON THAT TONIGHT.
UM, I THINK THAT WITH SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED ABOUT THE, UM, POTENTIAL FOR BOTH THE HISTORIC PROPERTIES AND THEN, UM, WHAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE FROM A SURVEY FROM THIS AREA, WHICH MOST LIKELY IS SOMEWHAT OUT OF DATE IF WE CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER IF IT WAS DONE OR NOT, UM, ALONG WITH THOSE PROPERTIES THAT WE, WE KNOW HAVE MERIT, EVEN THOUGH THEY WON'T BE PART OF OUR PRO OR POTENTIALLY WON'T BE PART OF OUR PROGRAM, WE'RE THINKING OF THE CHURCHES.
UM, I, I, I, I THINK THERE'S GOT TO BE SOME WAY THAT WE CAN CONVEY TO COUNSEL THAT, UM, BEFORE THIS IS IMPLEMENTED, PARTICULARLY AS THIS IS ALSO TIED TO SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS OF DEVELOPMENT TRANSFER, UM, THAT WE HAVE MORE TIME OR, UH, AN ABILITY TO REALLY EXAMINE THIS IN DETAIL FROM THE PRESERVATION, UH, POINT OF VIEW.
I WAS ABLE TO LOCATE A HISTORIC BUILDING SURVEY FOR NORTH CENTRAL AUSTIN, INCLUDING WEST CAMPUS.
THIS IS DATED 2021 AND INCLUDES.
AND IT INCLUDES AT LEAST ONE OF THE CHURCHES THAT GOT MENTIONED.
ALRIGHT, WELL I, I APPRECIATE YOU DOING THAT.
UM, I, I THINK STILL THE FACT THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, NEW TO US AND OBVIOUSLY NOT BEEN REFERENCED IN THE, IN THE WORK TO DATE, UH, WOULD INDICATE THAT IT'S, IT'S CERTAINLY AN IMPORTANT STEP, BUT I I, I THINK, UH, AS COMMISSIONER ACTON YOU'RE SAYING, UM, RAINY STREET, I THINK IS A, IS AN EXCELLENT ISSUE TO BRING UP.
UH, THAT WAS A HISTORIC DISTRICT.
UH, THERE WERE INCENTIVES TO BRING DENSITY AND IT'S NOW LONG, NO LONGER A HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO PLAIN AND SIMPLE, WHICH I THINK IS TRAGIC.
UM, IT, WE CAN LEARN FROM THAT.
UH, AND I THINK THAT RIGHT NOW IT DOESN'T APPEAR THAT THOSE, THOSE CONTROLS OR STOPS, UH, HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED YET AND THEY WILL NEED TO BE.
SO AGAIN, UH, IT'S GOING RIGHT TO COUNCIL RATHER QUICKLY, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION BEFORE THAT.
UM, I'M, I'M READY IF WE WANNA DO SOME WORDSMITHING FROM THE D UH, FOR SOME RESOLUTION THAT WE CAN VOTE ON.
UM, OR IF WE WOULD LIKE TO DO SOMETHING THAT WOULD MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO, UM, STILL BE ABLE TO WEIGH IN MORE, YOU KNOW, IN, IN, IN, IN SOME GREATER CAPACITY, UM, BEFORE THE COUNCIL ACTS.
UM, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE BEST ACTION WOULD BE.
I GUESS I COULD NOTE THAT WE ARE POSTED FOR PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION TONIGHT, SO YOU WANTED TO TAKE ACTION ON SOMETHING? YOU MIGHT HAVE TO, TO DO THAT AT A FOLLOWING MEETING, QUESTION MARK.
OH, SHOULD WE DISCUSS? BUT WE WEREN'T, WE WEREN'T POSTED FOR ACTION.
IF WE'RE NOT POSTED FOR ACTION, THEN UM, I THINK WHAT WE CAN DO IS, UM, ASSUME THAT WE, AT OUR NEXT MEETING, UM, LET US PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER AND, UM, AGAIN, OUR COMMITTEES REALLY AREN'T ACTIVE RIGHT NOW, SO I CAN'T SPECIFICALLY SAY WE'RE READY FOR A COMMITTEE TO PICK THIS UP, BUT I THINK WE CAN, UM, WORK ON SOME WAY OF ARTICULATING WHAT COMES FROM THIS DISCUSSION, WHICH IS THE ONGOING WORK WITH THE TRANSFER OF DEVELOPMENT RIGHTS COULD BE A VERY STRONG TOOL.
UH, IT CLEARLY WOULD BE APPLICABLE IN THIS SITUATION.
UH, BETWEEN THAT AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S A CONSIDERATION OF THESE BOUNDARIES IN THE, THE, THESE SURVEYED HISTORIC PROPERTIES, UM, I THINK THAT'LL, THOSE ARE TWO AT LEAST MAIN POINTS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE IN THAT.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM THEN? OH, JUST, AND HOW MANY SINGLE FAMILY UNITS ARE LEFT ARE IN THESE AREAS UNDER CONSIDERATION? UM, YEAH, OUR PRESENTER MAY KNOW THAT OH YEAH.
THERE, THERE ARE STILL SOME PRIVATE RESIDENCES OVER, YEAH.
SO THERE'S NO SINGLE FAMILY ZONING IN THE AREA.
UM, THERE MIGHT BE A COUPLE USES LEFT, BUT THERE'S NO SINGLE FAMILY ZONING.
BUT YOU HAVE AN INVENTORY, SPECIFICALLY SINGLE
[00:55:01]
FAMILY HOMES WITHIN THAT DISTRICT? NO.WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR, UH, THE BRISK DISCUSSION.
UH, I THINK WE RAISED AN IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AND WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING FOR OUR NEXT MEETING.
[5. PR-2024-159632 – 705 West Lynn St. West Line National Register Historic District Council District 9]
FIRST ACTION ITEM.UH, THE DISCUSSION ITEM IS NUMBER FIVE, AND THAT'S AT 7 0 5 WEST LIMB.
UH, THIS IS A REQUEST FOR DEMOLITION.
IT WAS, UH, YOU MAY RECALL POSTPONED FROM OUR MARCH 5TH MEETING.
I WILL MENTION THIS HAS HAD SEVERAL POSTPONEMENTS.
UH, THIS WAS, UH, REFERRED TO THE ARCHITECTURE, UH, THE, THE A RC COMMITTEE.
AND, UH, IT WILL TIME OUT, I BELIEVE STAFF YOU'LL, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION OF WHEN THIS WILL TIME OUT.
UH, BUT IT WILL BE WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
UM, SO I'LL, UH, GET TO, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT WINTER TIME'S OUT AT THE END HERE, BUT, UM, THIS IS A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH A CIRCA 1895 HOUSE IN THE WESTLAW NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT.
THE HOUSE LOCATED AT 7 0 5 WESTLAND STREET IS A SINGLE STORY CENTER PASSAGE HOUSE WITH A SIDE GABLED ROOF SET AT A MODERATE TO HIGH PITCH.
THE SINGLE FRONT DOOR IS CENTERED ON THE HOUSE WITH ONE TWO, OVER TWO WINDOW ON EITHER SIDE.
THERE IS A FRONT PORCH THAT EXTENDS ACROSS THE ENTIRETY OF THE FRONT FACADE, SUPPORTED BY FOUR COLUMNS DUE TO THE ELEVATION OF THE SITE.
THE PORCH SITS NEARLY AT GRADE TOWARDS THE FRONT OF THE LOT, BUT AT THE REAR OF THE PROPERTY IS A FULL HEIGHT UNCONDITIONED CRAWL SPACE OR BASEMENT.
WHILE THE FOOTPRINT OF THE BUILDING MAY READ AS A SIMPLE RECTANGULAR CENTER HALL DESIGN, THE REAR EXTENDS FURTHER BACK INTO THE LOT, INCLUDING AN INCLUDING AN ENCLOSED PORCH.
THERE IS ALSO A SMALL FRAME SHED ON THE SITE, WHICH IS ALSO PROPOSED TO BE DEMOLISHED.
THE SHED IS NOT MENTIONED IN THE WESTLINE NATIONAL REGISTER NOMINATION FROM ITS CONSTRUCTION AROUND 1895 UNTIL 1962.
THE PROPERTY WAS OWNED BY THE QUICK FAMILY.
JOHN QUICK, A CARPENTER ORIGINALLY FROM SWEDEN WAS THE FIRST LISTED OWNER AND LATER MARRIED A WOMAN NAMED HELEN, WHO WAS ALSO A FIRST GENERATION SWEDISH IMMIGRANT NEWSPAPER.
RECORDS INDICATE THAT HELEN'S SISTER IMMIGRATED TO TEXAS AROUND 1893, THOUGH IT IS UNKNOWN WHETHER THE SISTERS ARRIVED TOGETHER OR SEPARATELY.
THE QUICKS WERE INVOLVED WITH THE LOCAL METHODIST CHURCH WITH THE ADDRESS ON WEST LINN HOSTING A CIRCLE, UH, OF THE WOMEN'S SOCIETY OF CHRISTIAN SERVICE.
JOHN QUICK DIED OF NATURAL CAUSES IN 1945, UH, AND HELEN OCCUPIED THE HOUSE UNTIL HER PASSING IN 1962 AT THE AGE OF 91.
THE HOUSE WAS LEFT UNOCCUPIED FOR SEVERAL YEARS AFTER, BUT BY THE 1970S, HE WAS OCCUPIED BY RENTERS.
THE PROPERTY CONTRIBUTES TO THE WESTLINE NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT, AND THE NOMINATION FURTHER LISTS THE PROPERTY AS ELIGIBLE FOR INDIVIDUAL LISTING IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER.
HISTORIC PLACES, UH, PROPERTIES MUST MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR CITY BOSTON LANDMARK DESIGNATION STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT IT DOES NOT MEET TWO CRITERIA.
UH, THE APPLICANT ATTENDED THE MARCH 12TH, 2025 MEETING OF THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE AND DISCUSSED BOTH THE EXISTING CONDITION OF THE PROPERTY AND WHAT IS CURRENTLY BEING PROPOSED AFTER DISCUSSION WITH COMMITTEE, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AND THEN COMPARED IT AGAINST THE PLAN SUBMITTED AT THE FEBRUARY 5TH, 2025.
HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION COMMITTEE RECOMMEND EXPLORING THE ADDITION OF A SECOND STORY AT THE REAR OF THE FRONT HOUSING UNIT AND EXPLORE THE PRO THE POSSIBILITY OF WIDENING THE PROPOSED REAR PARKING STRUCTURE TO ADD DESIRED, UH, THE DESIRED INTERIOR FLOOR AREA.
ADDITIONALLY, THE COMMITTEE REQUESTED CONFIRMATION THAT THE, THAT FLOOR AREA RATIO HAS BEEN MAXIMIZED FOR THIS LOT AND THAT CURRENT ZONING DOES NOT ALLOW FOR A THIRD RESIDENCE ALLOWED UNDER THE HOME ORDINANCE.
FINALLY, THE APPLICANT IS ASKED TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER COMMUNICATION WITH THE ARBORISTS AND NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS SINCE THE LAST MEETING OF THE HLC STAFF.
RECOMMENDATION IS TO COMMENT ON PLANS AND BEING THAT THIS IS A DEMOLITION, A PROPOSED DEMOLITION, UM, IN A NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT, IT TIMES OUT AFTER, UH, 180 DAYS.
UM, SO THIS IS ACTUALLY NOT THE LAST, UM, COMMISSION THAT THIS IS, UH, UH, ALLOWED TO BE DISCUSSED.
UM, IT HAS TWO MORE ON MAY 7TH AND JUNE 4TH.
THIS CONCLUDES THE STAFF PRESENTATION.
ANY QUESTION OF STAFF? ANY HEARING? NONE.
UH, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND, UH, REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, IS THE APPLICANT HERE? AND IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND POPPING YOUR NAME IN THE BINDER REAL QUICK.
GOOD EVENING, CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS.
UM, THE SITE, UH, TO REFRESH YOUR MEMORY, WE'VE BEEN UP HERE A COUPLE TIMES ALREADY, UH, IS, UH, SEVERELY CONSTRAINED BY TWO LARGE HERITAGE TREES.
UH, AND A THIRD THAT IS, UH, UH, WAS UM, KIND OF IN THE WAY OF WHERE THE PARKING
[01:00:01]
ACCESS WOULD GO.THAT CAME UP IN A PRIOR MEETING.
I DID MEET WITH, UH, NAOMI ROMMEL ON SITE AND THAT ONE TREE WAS, WAS APPROVED FOR REMOVAL, UH, TO ALLOW VEHICULAR ACCESS ONTO THE SITE DUE TO CONDITION OF THE TREE.
UH, BUT THE OTHER TWO TREES WERE, WERE IN, I THINK, FAIR TO GOOD CONDITION AND WE'RE NOT, UH, SLATED FOR REMOVAL.
I KNOW THAT WAS A QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED.
UM, UH, I DID GO TO THE ARCHITECTURAL COMMITTEE MEETING, UM, AND TRIED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AS BEST I COULD AND PROVIDED THE DIAGRAM AS WELL THAT WAS REQUESTED.
UM, SO I'D BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
COMMISSIONERS ANY QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT? YOU WERE PROVIDED THE TWO STORY RENDERING IN OUR BACKUP, UH, AND THAT WE, WE HAD SOME CONFUSION ABOUT THAT IN AN EARLIER PRESENTATION, BUT THE LOWER PORTION THAT YOU HAVE BY THE TREE, THAT'S NOT THE OLD HISTORIC BUILDING THAT IS NEW CONSTRUCTION ENTIRELY.
IS THAT CORRECT? UH, THE, THE RENDERING DIAGRAM THAT I PROVIDED, IT SHOWS THE, THE EXISTING STRUCTURE WITH THE ADDITION DIRECTLY BEHIND IT.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE, THE PROBLEM WITH THE CONSTRAINTS, YOU CAN'T REALLY GO FORWARD BECAUSE THERE'S A TREE CAN'T GO BACKWARDS, RIGHT.
BECAUSE YOU'RE LIMITED IN YOUR AREA AND, AND A BUNCH OF OTHER FACTORS KICK IN.
UH, SO YOU END UP WITH JUST SORT OF A LARGE BOX BEHIND A SMALL BOX, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WAY TO PUT IT.
AND, AND THAT WAS THE RENDERING YOU SHOWED, NOT, NOT A PROPOSAL THAT YOU WERE WILLING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH.
THAT WAS A RENDER WAS REQUESTED, THE ARCHITECTURE YOU SHOWED THAT WE THOUGHT THAT WAS BEING PROPOSED.
NOW, SUBSEQUENTLY ALSO COMMISSIONERS IN YOUR BACKUP, YOU MAY SEE THE, UH, ALTERNATE PROPOSAL THAT ANA HAD SUGGESTED IN ORDER TO MAKE A, UH, THE FRONT BASICALLY PART, UH, REMAIN WITH A, A TWO STORY ADDITION, BUT A MORE SCALED DOWN ROOF.
UH, AND I ASSUME THAT YOU ALSO, MR. TURNER HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THAT AS WELL? YES, IT, UH, YOU CAN SEE THE DILEMMA THERE.
EVEN IF YOU, UH, I WAS TOLD EARLY IN THE PROCESS THAT YOU HAD TO PRESERVE THE FIRST 15 FEET OF THE HOUSE, NOT NECESSARILY THE PORCH.
THAT DRAWING, UH, PRESENTED BY THE NEIGHBORHOOD, I THINK PRESERVES THE FIRST 15 FEET OF THE ENTIRE STRUCTURE, INCLUDING THE PORT.
SO IT'S, THE MASS IS A LITTLE CLOSER, BUT YOU CAN SEE THE DILEMMA, THE, THE ROOF, THE DOUBLE ROOF LINE, JUST SORT OF HITTING RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE IS, IS SORT OF AWKWARD TO SAY THE LEAST.
UM, AND AGAIN, IT'S DIFFICULT TO GO, YOU CAN'T GO FURTHER BACK TO REGAIN SOME OF THAT EXTRA SQUARE FOOTAGE.
UH, IT'S REALLY HAS BEEN SORT OF A CASE STUDY AND NUMEROUS CONSTRAINTS COMBINED.
MR. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS ITEM? OKAY, SEEING NONE.
IS THERE ANYBODY HERE TO, UH, SPEAK IN OPPOSITION? YES, WE HAVE.
UM, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK.
AND SAM, WOULD YOU MIND GO AHEAD AND PUTTING UP THAT FIRST PICTURE? YES, MA'AM.
UH, NOT THE RENDERING, THE, THE PICTURE AGAIN OF THE HOUSE AND WE'LL GET TO THE RENDERING IN A MOMENT.
UM, THE ONE THAT I SENT, OH, THE ONE THAT WE HAVE SENT IN.
SO I'M STEVE AMMOS AND I'M THE CURRENT CHAIR OF THE OLD WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
AND FOR MANY REASONS, IT'S A REAL PRIVILEGE TO BE WITH YOU HERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
AND, UM, I'M GONNA TALK TO MY NOTES FOR A SECOND.
I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE THIS, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REALIZE THAT THE OLD WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, BY THE WAY, IT STARTS FROM THE RIVER, IT GOES TO INFIELD 15TH STREET FROM LAMAR TO MOPAC.
SO IT'S A PRETTY GOOD CHUNK AND A LOT'S GOING ON IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SO PRESERVING HISTORICAL VALUE IS CRITICAL.
SO WE DON'T LOSE OUR HISTORICAL DESIGNATION, AND IT'S A REASON WHY MANY OF US HAVE LIVED THERE FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, THIS ASPECT OF THE 7 0 5 WESTLAND TO, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO FIND THAT, OH, OR I HAVE IT ON MY PHONE,
SO WHAT YOU'LL SEE WHEN YOU WALK BY ON 7 0 5, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS WE'RE FOR BUILDING AND DEVELOPMENT, BUT ALSO THE PRESERVATION OF THE FACADE IN THE FRONT.
UM, AND AS YOU HEAR MORE TOO, THE THE ROOM SOME, THERE'S EX LIKE SOME AMAZING ASPECTS OF THIS HOUSE WE SUPPORT.
HE LCS ARCHITECTURAL REVIEWS RECOMMENDATION TO EXPLORE THE ELEVATION AND THE SECTION OF A SECOND STORY FOR FRONT UNIT HOUSING.
THE APPLICANT'S NOT MET WITH ANA ON THIS WITH AN UPDATED ELEVATION AND SECTION.
[01:05:01]
SO IT MAKES IT REALLY DIFFICULT TO SUPPORT TEAR THIS THING DOWN.THAT'S ACTUALLY, AND I'LL TOUCH ON WHY WE'RE SO STRONG TO RECOMMEND TO PRESERVE IT.
WHY DON'T YOU? AND, UH, AND THAT IS, UH, THIS HISTORICAL NATURE AS MENTIONED IN THE DOCUMENTS.
IT'S A HISTORICAL, UH, REGISTRATION FORM AND IT'S LISTED, UH, 7 0 5 AS A CENTER PASSAGE SIDE, CABLE CLASSICAL REVIVAL.
BUT THE MAIN THING THERE IS NOTHING ELSE LIKE THIS.
THERE'S NOT, I'VE LIVED IN THAT AREA SINCE 1988.
WHY? THIS IS A VERY UNIQUE STRUCTURE AND ALL THE STRUCTURES ON EITHER SIDE OF IT, THEY DEVELOPED WHY KEEPING THE FACADE, THEY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE SLOPE IN THE BACK FOR SOME WONDERFUL HOUSING THAT CAN HAPPEN HERE.
SO IF WE CAN GO, GO FOR A SECOND TO THE VERY FIRST PICTURE.
SO THIS THING THAT SEEMS SO SIMPLE, IT'S PRETTY INTERESTING WHEN THERE'S NOT ANOTHER LIKE IT FOR THOSE OF US THAT REMEMBER SOME HAVE BEEN HERE A LOT LONGER.
I ONLY MOVED HERE IN 1988 FROM NEW YORK, I THINK OF BOSTON.
I THOUGHT IT WAS KIND OF WEIRD BECAUSE THEY WERE WANTING TO PRESERVE, NOT DEVELOPMENT, BUT A SALAMANDER.
REMEMBER THAT THIS IS THE LAST SALAMANDERS.
I I DON'T KNOW ANY OTHER ONES LIKE THIS.
AND WHEN YOU, AND GO ONE MORE PLEASE.
THIS IS A VERY WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SO KEEPING THIS HISTORICAL LOOK, IT MATTERS.
AND WHEN YOU PLEASE GO BACK DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE.
UM, OKAY, THE LA THE OTHER ONE PLEASE.
OUR TEAM DID THIS REALLY, UH, IT CAN, IT'S WE'RE, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT CAN'T WORK.
I THINK MAYBE THERE'S SOME OTHER ISSUES INVOLVED.
ASK THAT WE PRESERVE OUR, THE LOOK AND FEEL FOR OLD WEST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD.
IF ANY OF YOU HERE ARE FAMILIAR WITH CLARKSVILLE AND WITH MARY REED, SHE IS THE CLARKSVILLE FOR, UM, LONGTIME NOT, SHE JUST RETIRED AS A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PERSON.
SHE SAID SHE HAS SEEN NOTHING LIKE THIS ONE EITHER.
SO, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
WE'RE FOR DEVELOPMENT, BUT WE'RE FOR PRESERVATION AND IT CAN BE DONE AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY COMMENTS THAT I CAN BE QUALIFIED TO SPEAK TO COMMISSIONERS.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE HERE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION? WE HAVE MR. CHARLES RACE.
AND GO AHEAD AND READ YOUR NAME AND FOR THE RECORD.
THANK YOU FOR HEARING US TODAY.
ANA WISHES TO COLLABORATE WITH DEVELOPERS NOT FIGHT THEM.
WHEN SCOTT TURNER FIRST APPROACHED ANA, HE CITED BOTH THE EXISTING HOUSE AND TREES AS OBSTACLES.
OUR ZONING COMMITTEE HAS SPENT MANY HOURS, VOLUNTEER HOURS AND PROPOSED ALTERNATIVE SITE PLANS SHOWING THE HOUSE AND TREES COULD REMAIN DESPITE MULTIPLE MEETINGS IN GOOD FAITH EFFORTS BY ANA SCOTT ULTIMATELY ADMITTED THAT MAXIMIZING SQUARE FOOTAGE AND FINANCIAL CONCERNS WERE A SOLE PRIORITY.
HIS BUSINESS MODEL DOES NOT SUPPORT RESTORING HISTORIC HOMES IN A WAY THAT ALIGNS WITH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD'S VALUES.
MOST RECENTLY DURING ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW, HE AGAIN CLAIMED HE COULD NOT MAKE ANYTHING WORK, BUT THE PROS PLANS DID NOT FULLY CONSIDER THE SLOPE OF THE LOT.
IF HE WERE TO ADD A SECOND STORY, THE FRONT STRUCTURE COULD EFFECTIVELY BECOME A THREE STORY HOME TOWARDS THE REAR.
AN OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN SUBSTANTIAL SQUARE FOOTAGE WITHOUT DEMOLITION THIS HOUSE'S INTERIOR IS TRULY STUNNING.
AND THIS HOUSE DESERVES SOMEBODY WHO VALUES ITS 12 FOOT CEILINGS INTERIOR, TRAIN SOME WINDOWS.
ITS UNIQUE CROSS CABLE DESIGN THE SEVEN FOOT WINDOWS AND ORIGINAL WOOD FLOORS AND NEEDS A LOT OF RE WORK TO RESTORE IT.
BOTH CREATIVE RENOVATION AND THOUGHTFUL INTEGRATION OF THE SLOPE AND HERITAGE JOKES.
THIS WILL BECOME A TRULY STUNNING PROJECT, ONE THAT ENHANCES THE STREET AND COMMANDS A MARKET PREMIUM.
ONE THAT WILL STAND FOR ANOTHER 130 YEARS.
SCOTT HAS NOT PURCHASED THE PROPERTY YET.
HE HAS RE PLEATED DELAYED CLOSING ON IT.
WE ASK THIS BOARD TO PROTECT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD NEIGHBORHOOD'S INTEGRITY BY ALLOWING THE HOME TO GO SOMEONE WITH A VISION AND ALIGNMENT, RATHER THAN APPROVING A DEVELOPER WHO IS UNWILLING TO COLLABORATE.
UM, WE URGE THIS COUNCIL TO PREDICT THE VALUES AND HISTORIC FABRIC OF AUSTIN BEFORE ONGOING COMPROMISE LEADS TO IRREVERSIBLE LOSS.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE HERE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION? ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONERS, IT LOOKS LIKE
[01:10:01]
THOSE ARE THE SPEAKERS.UH, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MO UH, MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH WE HAVE TO DO AT THE END OF OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS SO WE CAN THEN TAKE ACTION.
UM, SO COMMISSIONERS, UH, WILL SOMEONE MAKE THAT MOTION? MAKE THE MOTION CLOSE PUBLIC HEARING COMMISSIONER ACTON, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND THE PUBLIC HEARING IS CLOSED AT THIS POINT.
COMMISSIONERS, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
FOR LANDMARKED PROPERTIES OR PROPERTIES THAT ARE IN OUR LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICTS, WHEN WE REVIEW A PERMIT OF THIS KIND, WE ARE BEING ASKED TO GIVE A CERTIFICATE OF APPROPRIATENESS.
WE CAN BASICALLY SAY YES OR NO.
IT IT, IT MEETS THE CRITERIA OR IT DOESN'T IN THE CASE, HOWEVER, FOR NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICTS, THE ACTUAL JURISDICTION WE HAVE IS NO DIFFERENT THAN THE LATER PART OF OUR AGENDA, AGENDA FOR A PROPERTY, AN OLDER PROPERTY OF ANY PART OF THE CITY.
THE DIFFERENCE IS, HOWEVER, IS THAT IT HAS ALREADY BEEN RECOGNIZED TO BE CONTRIBUTING OR INVOLVED WITH A NATIONAL REGISTER PROGRAM, AND THEREFORE WE DO HAVE THOSE ADDITIONAL DAYS.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
UM, UH, AUSTIN, THAT, THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL.
UH, THE REASON FOR THAT, OF COURSE, IS THAT WE HAVE TWO TOOLS AT THIS POINT.
IF IT'S NOT A LANDMARK AND IT'S NOT IN OUR LOCAL DISTRICT, WE CAN EITHER SAY, OKAY, IT'S EN ENOUGH OF A A LANDMARK.
THEN FOR THE NEW MEMBERS, WE'VE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS ON THIS.
AND, UH, I PERSONALLY AGREE THAT IT DID NOT MEET THE CRITERIA THAT WE WOULD ZONE THIS HISTORIC.
SO FOR, FOR VARIOUS REASONS, THAT'S NOT BEEN ON THE TABLE.
OUR SECOND ALTERNATIVE IS TO DELAY.
AND THE POSTPONEMENT ALLOWS IF THIS BECOMES PART OF OUR MOTION FOR REFERRAL TO THE ARCHITECTURE REVIEW COMMITTEE, AND OFTENTIMES ENCOURAGEMENT TO WORK WITH NEIGHBORS, UH, OR WORK WITH OUR STAFF TO SEE IF THERE IS SOME WAY DURING THIS DELAY PERIOD THAT AN OWNER, UH, EITHER CAN BE PERSUADED TO PRESERVE THE PROPERTY IN, IN SOME FASHION, UH, EITHER AN OUTRIGHT PRESERVATION OR PART OF A PROJECT, UH, THAT SEVERAL, SEVERAL OPTIONS WE'RE ACTUALLY SEEING HERE, UH, OR IN SOME CASES DECIDE THAT THEY'RE NOT THE BEST OWNER AND, YOU KNOW, PUT THE, PUT THE HOUSE IN THE MARKET FOR SOMEBODY WHO WILL DO PRESERVATION.
SO IT, IT, IT'S, THANK YOU FOR JUST LETTING ME TAKE A MOMENT AND SORT OF PUT ALL OF OUR CONVERSATIONS LIKE THIS INTO PERSPECTIVE.
BUT THESE MOTIONS THAT WE MAKE AFTER A HEARING LIKE THIS WILL IMPACT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT.
UH, WE CAN RIGHT NOW ACCEPT THE DEMOLITION PERMIT AND IF WE DO, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE ALSO GET TO DO IN THIS SITUATION IS TO REQUIRE THAT THERE'S A FULL DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE THAT THE OWNER MUST SUPPLY AND IT GOES ON RECORD IN THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER.
WE COULD EVENTUALLY LET THIS TIME OUT AND HAVE NO ACTION.
WE DO THAT, THAT DOCUMENTATION'S NOT REQUIRED.
WE ALSO CAN POSTPONE TO THE NEXT MEETING UP UNTIL THE TOTAL TIME THAT'S BEEN ALLOTTED AND THE STAFF HAS TOLD US WE STILL HAVE TWO MORE MEETINGS THAT WOULD COINCIDE WITHIN THIS TIMEFRAME.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I, I HOPE THAT WAS CLEAR, BUT I WILL NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
I'LL MOVE TO REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND POSTPONE THIS CASE TO OUR MAIN MEETING.
AND I'LL, UH, AND BY THE WAY, WE ALSO, IF WE DO A POSTPONEMENT, WE, THE CLERK HAS NOW MADE US ALWAYS HAVE TO REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING, SO MM-HMM
I KNOW IT SEEMS WEIRD, BUT NOW WE HAVE TO REOPEN IT IF THAT MOTION PASSES.
WE NEED A SECOND FOR THE MOTION.
SECOND, UH, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER UPRIGHT.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS? YEAH, I'M GONNA SAY I WAS, UM, MOVED BY THE RENDERING PROVIDED BY ANA AND, UM, THE MENTION THAT THIS IS THE ONLY BUILDING OF ITS KIND.
I WOULD KIND OF LIKE TO EXPLORE THAT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE ORIGINAL ANA SURVEY FROM THE DESIGNATION IS AVAILABLE TO SCAN THROUGH TO SEE IF THE BUILDING TYPE REALLY IS UNIQUE.
UM, THE APPLICANT HAS COME TO US SEVERAL TIMES AND, AND HAS PUT IN SOME WORK TO KIND OF LOOK AT THE BREAKDOWN.
AND I THINK WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WITHIN 200 FEET OF MAXIMIZING FAR 200 SQUARE FEET OF MAXIMIZING FAR HERE.
AND I, I THINK THE, UH, NOT LIKING THE APPEARANCE OF THE PROPOSAL BY AWA THAT KEEPS THE MAIN HOUSE, UM, GRANTED
[01:15:01]
IT'S NOT IDEAL, BUT THIS IS A SMALL HOUSE AND THIS IS MAXIMIZING FAR AND, AND YEAH, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET THE LAST 200 SQUARE FEET SQUEEZED OUTTA HERE, BUT WE COULD SAVE A CONTRIBUTING RESOURCE THAT MAY BE A UNIQUE OF ITS KIND WITH, YOU KNOW, BUILT BY A FIRST GENERATION SWEDISH IMMIGRANT CARPENTER.UM, I JUST THINK GIVEN THE COMMUNITY VALUE SHOWN HERE IN THE, IN THE PRESENTATION, AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE ARE JUST SO, SO CLOSE TO BEING ABLE TO MAXIMIZE FAR AND KEEP THE MAIN HOUSE IN A FAIRLY REASONABLE, UH, APPROACH TO THE STANDARDS.
UM, I, I JUST NOT READY TO LET IT GO THIS MONTH.
AND COMMISSIONER REP WRIGHT, YOU MADE THE SECOND.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK TO YOUR MOTION? UH, YES.
I AM RATHER, I GUESS MOVE WHEN YOU MADE ONE PERSON MADE THE ANALOGY OF THE HOUSE WITH THE SALAMANDER AND SOMETHING THAT IS, THAT HAS BEEN CONSIDERED BY, UH, ANOTHER PERSON, UH, IN THE CLARKSVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD AS A PLACE THAT IS RATHER UNIQUE AND PERHAPS A ONE OF A KIND.
UH, I, I MYSELF WOULD LIKE TO SEE US POSTPONE THIS POSTPONE ACTION ON THIS AND, AND DO FURTHER INVESTIGATION.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION TO POSTPONE TO OUR APRIL MEETING AND ENCOURAGE THE OWNERS AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, REPRESENTATIVES TO GET TOGETHER AND IF NECESSARY, AVAIL THEMSELVES OF MORE TIME WITH THE ARCHITECTURE REVIEW COMMITTEE.
UM, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? UH, YES.
UM, I JUST, UH, I'M SORRY I MISSED, UM, THE LAST A RCI WAS ILL, BUT, UM, I DO WANNA SAY THAT I, I APPRECIATE, UM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S EFFORTS WITH THE, UM, PROPOSED DESIGN.
UH, YOU KNOW, THAT MAKES ME HAPPY.
I THINK IT, IT REALLY SHOWS, UM, CREATIVELY WHAT WE CAN DO TO SAVE THAT FRONT, UM, PORTION OF THE HOME.
AND, UM, I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE A GIANT TWO STORY BOX TACKED ON.
SO I REALLY ENCOURAGE, UM, THE OWNER TO LOOK AT THAT MORE AND, UM, THINK CREATIVELY.
'CAUSE I, I THINK IT CAN BE DONE AND CERTAINLY WILLING TO MEET YOU AT THE NEXT A RC IF YOU WOULD LIKE.
ANY MORE DISCUSSION? I'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL THE QUESTION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO POSTPONE THIS ITEM TO OUR APRIL MEETING, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
I SEE ALL HANDS RAISED, SO THAT IS UNANIMOUS.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
[7. PR-2025-009478 – 2307 Windsor Rd. Unit 2 Old West Austin National Register Historic District Council District 10]
ON ITEM NUMBER SEVEN.UH, THIS IS, UH, AN ITEM IN THE OLD WEST AUSTIN NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT.
ITEM 7 23 0 7 WINDSOR ROAD NUMBER TWO IS A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH A CIRCA 1950 HOUSE AND OUTBUILDING.
UM, AND THIS HOUSE IS GOING TO LOOK A LITTLE FAMILIAR TO SOME OF YOU.
UH, THIS CASE CAME BEFORE US LAST SUMMER AS WELL.
WINDSOR ROAD NUMBER TWO IS A TWO STORY MID-CENTURY MODERN HOUSE CONSTRUCTED BY NOTED ARCHITECTS FAIR AND GRANGER.
IT HAS A FLAT ROOF, RUSTIC STONE AND BOARD, AND BATTEN CLADDING EXPANSIVE FIXED WINDOWS, SUBSTANTIAL STONE CHIMNEY, AND AN INSET CARPORT AT THE ONE STORY PORTION OF THE HOUSE.
THE BUILDING IS SET BACK BETWEEN WINDSOR AND EAST WINDSOR ROADS, ACCESSIBLE ONLY BY A STEEPLY SLOPED DRIVE BEHIND TWO STREET FRONTAGE HOUSES AND INVISIBLE FROM BOTH WINDSOR AND EAST WINDSOR.
ITS STEPPED DOWN FORM NESTLES INTO THE HILLSIDE WITH A TWO STORY BANK OF WINDOWS FACING DOWNTOWN.
WINDSOR ROAD NUMBER TWO ORIGINALLY ADDRESSED AS 2300 EAST WINDSOR ROAD WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1950 FOR JUDGE TRUMAN O'QUINN AND HIS FAMILY O QUINN.
AN ATTORNEY GRADUATED FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AFTER REPORTING AND EDITING FOR THE BEAUMONT ENTERPRISE, THE AUSTIN AMERICAN AND THE DAILY TEXAN.
HE WAS ELECTED TO THE 42ND TEXAS LEGISLATURE FROM 1931 TO 1932.
AFTER A FEW YEARS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE, O'QUINN WORKED AS AN AUSTIN ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY AND WAS APPOINTED CHIEF CITY ATTORNEY IN 1939, A POSITION HE HELD UNTIL 1950.
THE WINDSOR ROADHOUSE WAS CONSTRUCTED THAT YEAR THROUGHOUT THE 1960S AND SEVENTIES.
O'QUINN HELD NUMEROUS PUBLIC AND POLITICAL POSTS, INCLUDING 14 YEARS AS TRAVIS COUNTY'S DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIRMAN AND AS THE OFFICIAL LEGAL COUNSEL FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
HE WAS APPOINTED TO THE THIRD COURT OF CIVIL APPEALS IN 1967 AND SERVED FOR 13 YEARS.
O QUINN WAS KNOWN FOR HIS ROLE AS A PROLIFIC COLLECTOR AND PROMINENT AMATEUR HISTORIAN OF WILLIAM SYDNEY PORTER, THE AMERICAN AUTHOR KNOWN AS O HENRY.
HE DONATED A STAGGERING COLLECTION TO THE O HENRY RESOURCES AT
[01:20:01]
THE AUSTIN HISTORY CENTER IN 1982.A CONTRIBUTION WITHOUT PARALLEL NOTES BRITTANY JEFFREY, AND THE TEXAS STATE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION'S HANDBOOK OF TEXAS.
HOWEVER, OAKLAND'S LEGACY IN THE HISTORICAL RECORD IS MARRED BY HIS RESPONSE TO 2 19 62 STATESMAN ARTICLES SOLICITING FEEDBACK ON THE CITY COUNCIL'S SUGGESTION TO RENAME TOWN LAKE TO LAKE TONAH IN THE ARTICLES WHICH ARE WROUGHT WITH RACIST COMMENTS AND DISMISSAL OF NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE.
O QUINN'S REMARKS STAND OUT AS PARTICULARLY CONCERNING.
HE PUBLICLY AND EMPHATICALLY DEMONIZED THE TONKA WOOD TRIBE WHILE PRESENTING HIMSELF AS AN EXPERT ON TEXAS HISTORY, ALONG WITH PARTICIPATING IN THE SYSTEMIC ERASURE OF NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES FROM TEXANS COLLECTIVE MEMORIES.
THUS, IT IS IMPERATIVE TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER OR TO CAREFULLY VIEW HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CITY AND STATE WITH EYES OPEN TO THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF THIS OVERT RACISM.
HOWEVER, ACCORDING TO THE MANY NEIGHBORS WHO SPOKE AND WROTE IN SUPPORT AT THE MAY, 2024 PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS PROPOSED DEMOLITION, THE HOUSE FOUND A NEW PURPOSE, AN OCCUPIED BY THE NEXT GENERATION OF THE FAMILY.
NEIGHBORS REPORTED THAT FILMMAKER KARAOKE QUINN USED THE PROPERTY NOT ONLY AS A CREATIVE OASIS WENT AWAY FROM HIS LOS ANGELES HOME, BUT ALSO AS A SAFE SPACE TO HOST GATHERINGS FOR AUSTIN'S GAY COMMUNITY.
IN THE 1980S, EXCUSE ME, THE HOUSE'S SECRETIVE LOCATION TUCKED AWAY ON THE HILLSIDE AND ACCESSIBLE ONLY BY A TURQUOISE GATE AT THREE OF THE PROPERTY.
A RELATIVELY SECURE PLACE FOR THOSE WHO IN AN ERA OF VIOLENCE AND MARGINALIZATION HAD FEW PUBLIC SPACES IN WHICH TO SAFELY GATHER AS THE HISTORIES OF AUSTIN'S LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY WERE RARELY DOCUMENTED IN THE PERIOD ARCHIVAL SOURCES NOW AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC USE TO PROTECT MEMBERS AS WELL AS OUT OF SYSTEMIC ERASURE.
FURTHER INFORMATION GATHERING FROM FIRSTHAND SOURCES IS NEEDED TO DOCUMENT THE EXTENT OF THE PROPERTY'S IMPORTANCE TO LGBTQ PLUS AUSTINITES DURING THE 1970S AND EARLY 1980S.
UH, SO AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS CASE, UH, CAME BACK BEFORE US, UM, STARTING ON FEBRUARY 13TH, 2024 AND ENDING LATER IN THE SUMMER.
UM, WE DID HAVE AN INITIAL DETERMINATION OF LIMITED SIGNIFICANCE IN EARLY 2024.
UM, BUT, UH, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUILDING'S HISTORIC ASSOCIATIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE EMERGED THROUGH THAT COMMUNITY FEEDBACK PROCESS FOLLOWING THE INITIAL 2024 HEARING.
UM, AND THAT SUGGESTED THAT THE PROPERTY MAY MEET LANDMARK DESIGNATION REQUIREMENTS AS AN IMPORTANT PLACE FOR AUSTIN'S LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY DURING THE SEVENTIES.
UM, THE PROPERTY IS AT LEAST 50 YEARS OLD AND REPRESENTS A PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE OF AT LEAST 50 YEARS AGO, AND MAY ALSO BE OF EXCEPTIONAL IMPORTANCE AS DEFINED BY NATIONAL REGISTER BULLETIN 22, UH, WHICH IS THE, UH, BULLETIN THAT STATES THAT SIGNIFICANCE PAST THE 50 YEAR PERIOD MAY ALSO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE PROPERTIES ASSOCIATIONS.
UH, IF RESEARCH IS SUBSTANTIATED, THE BUILDING RETAINS MODERATE INTEGRITY.
SOME WINDOWS HAVE BEEN REPLACED AND WATER DAMAGE APPEARS TO HAVE CAUSED THE BOEING OF EXTERIOR STONE.
THE O'QUINN FAMILY REMODELED THE HOUSE IN 1984 PER PERMITS, BUT NO RECORD OF THE EXTENT OF THE REMODEL WAS FOUND.
THOUGH THE INTERIORS DO APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN ALTERED DURING THAT PERIOD, STAFF HAS EVALUATED THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINED THAT THE BUILDING MEETS TWO CRITERIA FOR LANDMARK DESIGNATION, BUT RECOMMENDS THAT THE COMMISSION'S DECISION CAREFULLY WEIGH TRUMAN O QUINN'S IMPACTS ON AUSTIN HISTORY, UH, THE EX EXTENT O HENRY MUSEUM AND UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS COLLECTIONS TO WHICH O QUINN'S RESEARCH AND PATRONAGE CONTRIBUTED CURRENTLY UTILIZE HIS WORK TO PROVIDE A PUBLIC GOOD.
THE PROPERTY IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH QUINN, HOWEVER, THIS IMPORTANT OCCUPANT IS STILL LIVING AND WROTE IN FAVOR OF DEMOLITION OF THE HOUSE IN 2024.
LIVING OCCUPANTS ARE TYPICALLY NOT CONSIDERED WHEN EVALUATING A PROPERTY FOR SIGNIFICANT ELIGIBILITY AND MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED TO DETERMINE IF O QUINN'S LEGACY IN THE LGBTQ IA PLUS COMMUNITY MEETS THE CRITERION FOR HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS WITHIN OR CLOSELY FOLLOWING THE HISTORIC PERIOD.
THUS, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO CONSIDER POSTPONEMENT TO THE MAY 7TH, 2025 PUBLIC HEARING TO ALLOW ADDITIONAL TIME FOR RESEARCH AND COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ON THE HOUSE'S SIGNIFICANCE DURING THE PERIOD OF SIGNIFICANCE, AS WELL AS TO INVITE THE APPLICANT TO THE ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW COMMITTEE TO PROVIDE FURTHER FEEDBACK ON POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVES TO DEMOLITION.
UH, AND JUST A REMINDER, DEMOLITION PERMITS.
AND THEN IN NATIONAL REGISTER, HISTORIC DISTRICTS CANNOT BE RELEASED UNTIL THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION HAS REVIEWED PLANS FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION ON THE SITE AS WELL.
THAT CONCLUDES THE STAFF PRESENTATION.
ANY QUESTION OF STAFF? OKAY, HEARING NONE, I WILL GO AHEAD AND OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND, UM, IS THE APPLICANT, UM, HERE, PLEASE COME AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
HI, UM, MY NAME'S BRIAN HALEY.
I'M THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY AND I ACTUALLY LIVE ACROSS THE STREET.
WE BOUGHT IT FROM THE MULTIFAMILY DEVELOPER WHO HAD BOUGHT IT LAST YEAR AND I PLANNED TO PUT EIGHT APARTMENTS THERE.
AND SO, UM, THANK Y'ALL FOR THE
[01:25:01]
TIME.I USED TO BE A PUBLIC SAFETY COMMISSIONER FOR THE CITY AND UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH TIME THIS TAKES.
UM, AND I ALSO OWN AND PRESERVE A HISTORIC BUILDING DOWNTOWN WHERE MY OFFICE IS.
SO I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
WE, UM, PURCHASED THE PROPERTY TO BUILD A SINGLE FAMILY HOME THERE FOR OURSELVES.
UM, AND OUR FAMILY, WE HAVE BROUGHT IN AN ARCHITECT FROM HOUSTON WHO'S DONE A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT AND DESIGN HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND OUR DIRECTION TO HIM HAS BEEN TO BUILD AND DESIGN SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S BEEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR A HUNDRED YEARS.
UNFORTUNATELY, THIS STRUCTURE, UM, IS NOT, UM, IN ANYONE'S OPINION, ONCE WE'VE GOTTEN INTO THE BONES, UH, ABLE OR WORTH PRESERVING.
UM, IT WAS, UH, BUILT IN THE 1950S.
IT HAS BEEN ALMOST ABANDONED SINCE THEN.
THERE HAVE BEEN PEOPLE LIVING THERE FOR LIKE $300 A MONTH, UM,
AND SO, UH, THAT'S AS, AS ALSO NOTED, UM, IN YOUR PACKAGE.
SEVERAL OF THE NEIGHBORS HAVE WRITTEN IN SAYING THEY SUPPORT OUR PLAN TO BUILD THAT SINGLE FAMILY HOME THAT LOOKS LIKE IT'S BEEN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR A LONG TIME.
AND AS IT WAS ALSO NOTED, WE'LL BE COMING BACK BEFORE Y'ALL TO SHOW YOU THAT, BUT TO REALLY GET INTO THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO ON THE PROPERTY.
AND, UM, WE OBVIOUSLY CANNOT DEMO IT WITHOUT COMING BACK BEFORE YOU, BUT WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT WE ARE ABLE TO MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION.
AND SO WE WERE, WE WERE, WE BELIEVE THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE FEBRUARY HEARING MEETING, THERE WAS A CLERICAL ERROR.
SO NOW THERE HAS BEEN TWO MONTHS FOR PUBLIC TESTIMONY TO WEIGH IN ON THIS ISSUE.
UM, AND WE BELIEVE THAT'S BEEN ENOUGH TIME TO SOLICIT, UH, FEEDBACK.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, ANY QUESTIONS OF THE APPLICANT? IF, IF I MAY ASK, WHY DOES KERRY O'QUINN, WHY DOES HE WANT TO SEE THE HOUSE DEMOLISHED? MR. O'QUINN, UH, YOU KNOW, I I SAY THIS AS HIS NEIGHBOR ACROSS THE STREET.
UH, IT GOES TO THE, THE CURRENT, UH, THE CURRENT CONDITION OF THE HOUSE.
I MEAN, THERE'S A STONE WALL THERE THAT WE, AS THE NEIGHBORS PAID TO
HE JUST, HE LIVES IN LA HE IS NOT INTERESTED.
THE, UM, I WAS LOOKING, I WAS DIGGING THROUGH THIS MORNING, THE HISTORY OF HIS FAMILY.
HIS MOTHER ACTUALLY PASSED AWAY IN 1987.
UM, AND SO THE PARTIES THAT WE KNOW OCCURRED THERE HAPPENED IN THE NINETIES.
I HAVE POSTERS HERE THAT I DIDN'T THINK Y'ALL WANTED ME TO SEND VIA EMAIL 'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF NUDITY ON THEM.
BUT, UH, THEY, UH, THE PARTIES THAT WE KNOW OCCURRED THERE HAPPENED IN THE MID TO LATE NINETIES.
SOME OF THEM EVEN HAPPENED, UM, AT OIL CAMP HARRY'S HERE.
I DO THINK PARTIES OCCURRED AT THE PROPERTY OUTSIDE.
I'M NOT SURE THAT IS WORTHY OF DESIGNATING AS HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT, UM, SINCE THE ONES WE KNOW ABOUT AND HAD HISTORY OF OCCURRING THERE ALL IN THE NINETIES AND NOT THE SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES.
UM, THE ONLY FEEDBACK I GOTTEN FROM ONE OF THE NEIGHBORS OF THE O QUINNS IS THAT MRS. O'QUINN HAD 30 CATS AND LIVED IN A HOUSE.
AND SO, UM, THEY SAID SHE WAS, UH, ECCENTRIC AND INTERESTING.
BUT WAS THERE, UH, I MEAN, THIS NEIGHBOR MOVED INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN 1985, SO SHE WAS LIVING THERE AT THAT POINT.
UM, LET ME FOLLOW UP ON THAT IF I COULD.
UM, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE HOUSE MM-HMM
HAVE YOU, UH, A STUDY OR ANY MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE CURRENT STRUCTURAL CONDITION OF THIS PROPERTY THAT WOULD MAKE IT NOT SUITABLE FOR REHABILITATION? WE CAN, I MEAN, WE'RE HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT.
I MEAN, AGAIN, IF YOU GO INTO THE HOUSE, THE FLOOR IS SINKING INTO THE GROUND.
UM, THE FOUNDATION CLEARLY IS FAILING.
UM, THERE, THE WALLS ARE COMING IN.
UH, SO IT JUST HASN'T BEEN MAINTAINED.
IT'S, I, I WISH A FAMILY HAD LIVED THERE FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS AND HAD TAKEN CARE OF IT.
BUT WE, TWO WEEKS AGO I WENT OVER THERE AND SOMEONE HAD BUSTED IN THE LOCKS AND STOLEN THE REMAINING FURNITURE OUT OF THE BEDROOM.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST, IT'S TOTALLY IN DISARRAY AND NOT, UH, A CAT.
OUR INTENT IS TO USE THE SPIRIT OF THE ARCHITECTURE AND WHAT WE BUILD THERE.
BUT TO THERE, THERE ARE SEVERAL, FIVE OR SIX GIANT OAK TREES THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ALSO BUILDING AROUND.
AND SO TO, TO NOT HAVE THAT FOOTPRINT TO REALLY, UH, MAINTAIN IS GONNA MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO DO ANYTHING ON THE PROPERTY, UH, WITH A SLOPE IN THE HILL.
THE, THE MAIN ACCESS TO THE HOUSE, THERE WAS A MENTION OF THE TURQUOISE GATE THAT'S DOWN ON THE LOWER WIND, RIGHT? IT IS.
AND OUR, WE ARE PLANNING TO, UM, THE GATE, IT'S ACTUALLY A BEAUTIFUL GATE.
WE'RE PLANNING TO KEEP THE GATE, UM, THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF TURQUOISE FENCE AT THE TOP OF THE, THE PROJECT AS WELL, WHICH WE'RE GONNA KEEP.
LEGEND IS, IT'S FROM THE CAPITAL.
I MEAN, WE HAVE, WE ARE ABSOLUTELY GONNA DO IT.
AND I EVEN SUGGESTED TO, UH, THE STAFF THIS WEEK IS WE WOULD
[01:30:01]
BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO PUT A, A REGISTER, UH, A SIGN IN THE FRONT SOME SOMETHING IN THE, A MARKER IN THE FRONT TO TALK ABOUT THE QUINN'S WORKING WITH STAFF TO, TO COME UP WITH THAT.BUT THE STRUCTURE ITSELF IS JUST NOT, NOT WORTH.
AND THE HOUSE IS UP ON THE HILL IN THE TREES.
IT'S IN THE TREES, COMPLETELY INVISIBLE FROM, IT WAS, SO IT, BEFORE WE BOUGHT IT, THE, THE WHOLE PROPERTY LOOKED LIKE WOODS.
UM, WE CAME IN, UM, AND GOT RID OF, UH, THE SHRUBS THAT HAD OVERGROWN.
THE PRI JUST HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN CARE OF, MAINTAINED.
SO IT NOW IS A HUNDRED PERCENT VISIBLE FROM THE STREET.
UM, AND OUR HOPE WORKING WITH THE CITY IS TO ALSO HAVE, UM, ENTRANCE DOWN ON THAT LOWER WINDSOR.
'CAUSE REALLY THE UPPER WINDSOR, IT'S EVERYONE'S BACK OF HOUSE.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT REALLY IT, THE, THE TURQUOISE GATE IS DOWN ON THE LOWER WINDSOR.
SO WE WANT THAT TO BE MORE THE FOCAL POINT COMING INTO THE HOUSE.
AND THIS IS THE SECOND GATE THIS WEEK THAT SOMEONE SUGGESTED THIS FROM THE CAPITOL, IF YOU, YEAH, SO I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT'S TRUE OR NOT.
THE LOWER ONE OR THE UPPER ONE? THE LOWER ONE IS, I THINK BOTH OF THEM ARE FROM THE SAME ERA AND FROM THE SAME ORIGINATION.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT IT IS OR NOT.
SO, BUT THAT'S THE, THE LORE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE WILL, WE WILL ABSOLUTELY USE IT.
MICHELLE ALVAREZ, I SEE YOU HAVE A NUMBER OF SIZABLE TREES, AT LEAST 1, 2, 3 MORE OR LESS IMMEDIATELY NEXT TO THE EXISTING HOME.
UM, ARE YOU GONNA LOSE OUT ON BUILDABLE AREA ONCE YOU TAKE DOWN THIS? THE, UM, THE CITY HAS INDICATED THAT BECAUSE THE EXISTING STRUCTURES OVER THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONE FOR 50 OR SIX YEARS, THAT THERE ARE WAYS WE CAN BUILD A FOUNDATION OVER THAT.
UH, WHETHER IT'S PURE AND BEAM TO, TO PRESERVE THE TREES.
UM, I THINK WHAT IF WE, WE HAVE TO KEEP THE STRUCTURE, THE BIGGER ISSUE IS ONE OF THE LIMBS IS HANGING ON THE ROOF, LIKE LITERALLY SITTING ON THE ROOF OF THE STRUCTURE.
AND SO WE WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO REMOVE THAT OAK TREE.
THAT'S PROBABLY TWICE THE SIZE OF THIS.
SO, UM, I THINK WHAT WE IDEALLY WOULD DO IS WHETHER IT'S SOME SORT OF STRUCTURE THAT IS FLOATING BETWEEN THOSE TREE CANOPIES, UM, BUT ALLOWS THEM TO EXIST IN THEIR CURRENT NATURE WITHOUT HAVING TO TAKE SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE CANOPY OUT.
UM, 'CAUSE LIKE I SAID, RIGHT NOW IT'S RESTING ON THE ROOF OF THIS HOUSE.
IT JUST HASN'T, THIS PROPERTY HASN'T BEEN MAINTAINED FOR 50 YEARS.
AND YOUR PREFERENCES FOR DEMOLITION NOT, UH, MODIFICATION ADDITION? NO, IT'S, UH, DEMOLITION JUST SO WE CAN, WE CAN BUILD WITHIN THOSE TREES IN A WAY THAT PRESERVES THE TREES.
UM, WE, WE THINK THE TREES, THE TREES ARE MUCH MORE IMPORTANT TO PRESERVE IN OUR OPINION, THAN THE STRUCTURE JUST BASED ON ITS CURRENT CONDITION.
WE'RE HAPPY TO HIGHLIGHT THE HISTORY OF THE PROPERTY, HOWEVER THE CITY WOULD, UH, WOULD ALLOW US TO DO, BUT THE STRUCTURE ITSELF JUST ISN'T PRESERVABLE.
UM, IS THERE SOMEBODY ELSE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THIS ITEM? OKAY, I DON'T SEE ANYBODY ELSE.
IS THERE ANYBODY HERE IN OPPOSITION? OKAY, IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN COMMISSIONERS, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING MOVE.
UM, COMMISSIONER COOK, SECONDED BY, UM, UH, COMMISSIONER ACTON.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND IT'S UNANIMOUS.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, UH, THIS AGAIN IS A NATIONAL REGISTER, UM, PROPERTY.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT IT HAS BEEN POSTED.
UH, ALL OF THE PREVIOUS ACTION WAS FROM A SEPARATE APPLICATION, A SEPARATE OWNER, SO WOULD NOT IMPACT THE TIMELINE, BUT, UM, AND STAFF OF COURSE IS, IS RECOMMENDING ADDITIONAL RESEARCH.
BUT I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
I'LL MOVE TO RELEASE OF DEMOLITION PERMIT PENDING CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER ACTON SECONDS.
UH, COMMISSIONER COOK, WOULD YOU LIKE TO DISCUSS YOUR MOTION? YEAH, I THINK, UM, I WAS THERE ONCE, DIDN'T GO INSIDE, BUT MET UP FOR A ROAD TRIP IN THE DRIVEWAY AND THAT WAS IN THE NINETIES.
UM, YOU CAN'T SEE IT FROM THE ROAD.
UM, THE ARCHITECTURE IS, IS INTERESTING, BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING ABOUT THE, THE ARCHITECT THAT MAKES IT SIGNIFICANT, THE, THE OWNER THAT WOULD BE THE LEAST PROBLEMATIC.
UH, THOUGH NOT NECESSARILY IN THE ERA OF, UM, HISTORIC ERA, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T SUPPORT ITS PRESERVATION.
THERE'S COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR DEMOLITION MOST, I I JUST DON'T SEE THAT THERE WOULD BE A BENEFIT TO, TO THE CITY AS A WHOLE, TO PRESERVE A HOUSE THAT
[01:35:01]
CAN'T BE SEEN FROM THE ROAD.UH, WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CONDITION OF IT.
BUT, UM, THAT'S, THOSE ARE THE FINDINGS.
THE FACT THAT I MADE THE MOTION ON COMMISSIONER ACTON, UM, A SIMILAR THINGS I DON'T, I DON'T SEE, AND I, I THINK WE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT, UH, APPRECIATE HISTORIC, UH, PRESERVATION, UM, AND HAVE, UH, BEEN WILLING TO PRESERVE ASPECTS.
ALSO, SIR, CAN YOU, DO YOU HAVE TO TURN YOUR MIC FRAME? UM, I, IN CONCURRENCE, UM, AND THEN I APPRECIATE AN OWNER THAT'S, UM, APPRECIATES THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND HAS BEEN WILLING TO, UM, HIGHLIGHT ASPECTS OF THE HOME AND KEEP THE TREES AND, AND SOME OF THE OTHER, UM, AREAS.
SO I SECOND THE MOTION, UH, I'M GOING TO WEIGH IN.
UH, I HAVE A COLLEAGUE WHO IS, UH, RESEARCHING, UM, THE, THE, BASICALLY THE HISTORY OF GAY SPACES IN AUSTIN.
AND, UH, WHEN THIS WAS ON THE AGENDA AND WAS MENTIONED, I KNOW HE'S VERY, VERY INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT MORE.
UM, BUT AGAIN, I THINK IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT RECORD IS DOCUMENTED, UM, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE, I KNOW HE'D BE EAGER TO SPEND MORE TIME ON THIS, SO EVEN ONE, ONE ADDITIONAL MEETING MIGHT BE VERY VALUABLE.
BUT, UM, YEAH, I, I, I JUST, I, I HAVE THE FEELING THAT WE'RE, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF INFORMATION, BUT IT'S STILL NOT COMPLETE.
AND, UM, SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AT LEAST, UM, THAT RECORD ESTABLISHED AND, AND I THINK THERE'S BEEN ENOUGH BACK AND FORTH THAT, UH, I THINK THAT A DELAY FOR ME AT LEAST WOULD BE PREFERABLE.
SO I, I, I GUESS I'LL VOTE AGAINST THE MOTION.
I, I TOO AM INTERESTED IN GAY SPACES.
AND THAT HISTORY OF L-G-B-T-Q SPACES HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS PROPERTY AND THE NATURE OF THIS USE AS A GAY SPACE.
I MEAN, WAS THERE ANY STRATEGIZING DONE AT THAT PLACE, OR WAS IT JUST PARTIES? I DON'T KNOW.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? I'M JUST CURIOUS IS, IS THAT RESEARCH REQUIRE THAT THE HOUSE STILL BE STANDING IN ORDER TO DO IT? UM, YOU CAN ASK NOW.
UM, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT THE APPLICANT HAS INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD BE, UM, AMENABLE TO, UM, DOING SOME SORT OF MARKER OR PLAQUE THAT MAY BE ABLE TO INTERPRET ADDITIONAL RESEARCH.
UM, AND HE CAN SPEAK MORE TO THAT, UH, IF HE LIKES.
BUT, UM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WAS BROUGHT UP, UH, IN OUR DISCUSSION.
MAY I ASK VERY QUICKLY, UM, IF, IF WE, IF THIS MOTION GOES FORWARD, YOU, YOU HAD MENTIONED BEFORE THAT WE STILL HAVE TO REVIEW THE ARCHITECTURAL.
SO LIKE TIME-WISE BETWEEN THIS MEETING AND WHEN ANYTHING WOULD REASONABLY HAPPEN, DEMOLITION WISE, WE'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT A PRETTY DECENT PERIOD OF TIME, CORRECT? WHERE FOR RESEARCH ACTUALLY AT THE PLACE OR OUTSIDE OF THE STRUCTURE? YES.
SO, UM, THE TIMELINES FOR NATIONAL REGISTERED DISTRICTS ARE, UM, A LITTLE BIT SKEWED.
SO, UM, THE COMMISSION HAS 180 DAYS TECHNICALLY TO REVIEW DEMOLITION, BUT, UM, YOU ALSO HAVE 75 DAYS EITHER WITHIN OR WITHOUT THAT 180 DAY PERIOD, DEPENDING ON THE APPLICATION, UH, TO REVIEW THE NEW CONSTRUCTION PLANS.
SO BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE NEW CONSTRUCTION PLANS YET, THAT 75 DAYS WILL START, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY FIRST APPEAR ON THE, UH, THE COMMISSION'S AGENDA.
SO, UH, THERE WILL BE SOME TIME.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT MONTHS YEAH, POTENTIALLY DEPENDING ON, UM, WHERE THE APPLICANT IS IN IN THEIR, YEAH, AND, AND IT, I JUST WEIGH IN.
IT'S NOT UNCOMMON FOR AN OWNER TO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WOULD APPROVE A DEMOLITION BEFORE THEY COMMISSION THE PLANS.
SO THERE IT IS A LITTLE BIT OF BACK AND FORTH THAT TAKES PLACE.
UM, THAT HAVING BEEN SAID, IT ALSO DOES GIVE US, UH, I I I GUESS I DIDN'T ADD THAT 'CAUSE IT'S GETTING PRETTY LENGTHY, SLIGHT LEVERAGE OVER THOSE ITEMS THAT ARE NOT IN DISTRICTS BECAUSE FRANKLY, THAT WON'T BE ISSUED UNTIL WE HAVE THAT.
ALSO, THE ABILITY TO REVIEW THE NEW PLANS.
UH, UH, JUST TO CLARIFY ON THE TIMING, UM, COMMISSIONERS, I LOVE OUR CITY.
THINGS TAKE A LOT, A LOT OF TIME.
UH, MY ARCHITECT'S TELLING ME IT'S AT LEAST A YEAR, UH, FOR US TO GET PLANS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO, UH, THERE WOULD BE PLENTY OF TIME FOR ADDITIONAL RESEARCH.
WE JUST, WE HAVE TO KNOW WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT DO ON THE PROPERTY IS, IS THE ISSUE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND THAT, WE'LL, WE'LL SAY YOU
[01:40:01]
ARE ANSWERING OUR QUESTIONS, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH SINCE THE, UH, MOTION, UH, WAS ALSO CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING.SO DO WE HAVE A MOTION, UH, RIGHT NOW AND IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? YEAH, I'LL JUST NOTE, I MEAN, I WAS A 20 SOMETHING GAY MAN IN THE NINETIES WHEN I WAS THERE ONCE, BUT MY RECOLLECTION OF KARAOKE QUINN IS THAT HE WAS FROM LOS ANGELES.
HE WAS SOCIALLY CONNECTED IN AUSTIN.
HE WAS SOMEONE WHO LIVED IN A MUCH FREER PLACE AND COULD COME AND COULD KIND OF SHARE THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SOMEONE FROM LOS ANGELES COMING TO VISIT.
UH, I DON'T THINK THAT HE WAS POLITICALLY ACTIVE AT THE TIME.
I MAY BE WRONG, BUT HE CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION PERHAPS IF HE WAS CONTACTED.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT TOTALLY AGAINST TAKING ANOTHER MONTH TO MAKE A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE IT'S FINE.
BUT, UM, I AGREE THAT RESEARCH COULD PROBABLY BE DONE AND DOCUMENTED AFTERWARDS, AND I JUST DON'T THINK THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE HOUSE IS, IS WORTHY OF LANDMARKING, UM, FROM EVERYTHING THAT I KNOW.
COMMISSIONERS, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? I WILL CALL THE QUESTION.
UM, THE MOTION IS TO RELEASE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT PENDING THE, UH, UH, PRO PROVIDING THE DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, AS, AS RECOMMENDED BY STAFF.
UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED I'M GONNA WEIGH IN OPPOSED.
COMMISSIONER GROGAN IS OPPOSED.
UM, SO WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM VOTE, SO THAT WOULD MEAN THAT THAT MOTION DOES NOT PASS.
I'LL ENTERTAIN ANOTHER MOTION.
I'LL MOVE TO REOPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND POSTPONE TO RMA MEETINGS AND GIVE AN ADDITIONAL MONTH FOR RESEARCH.
IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND COMMISSIONER UPRIGHT SECONDS.
UH, DO WE NEED TO SPEAK TO THESE MOTIONS? WE HAVE PLENTY OF DISCUSSION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? I'LL CALL THE QUESTION OF THE POSTPONEMENT MOTION.
PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND I SEE ALL HANDS RAISED.
AND, UM, THIS WILL BE ON OUR NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA.
[10. PR-2025-008236 – 4901 Ridge Oak Dr. Council District 10]
TO, I'M NOT MISTAKEN, ITEM NUMBER 10.IS THAT CORRECT? 49 0 1 RIDGE OAK DRIVE.
THIS IS A PROPOSAL TO DEMOLISH A CIRCA 1951 HOUSE.
UM, BELIEVED TO BE BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN DESIGNED BY AUSTIN ARCHITECT BARTON RILEY.
THE HOUSE AT 49 0 1 RIDGE OAK DRIVE WAS CONSTRUCTED AROUND 1951 FOR EDGAR PERRY, THE THIRD GRANDSON OF EDGAR HOWARD COMMODORE PERRY.
THE SINGLE STORY HOUSE IS SET ON A TRIANGULAR PARCEL THAT SLOPES TOWARD THE EAST OFFER, OFFERING AN OPTIMAL VIEW OF DOWNTOWN CLAD.
IN A COMBINATION WHITESTONE, UH, CONCRETE AND VERTICAL WOOD SIDING.
THE HOUSE EMPHASIZES ITS HORIZONTALITY WITH TWO LONG WINGS IN AN L SHAPE.
THE NORTH SIDE OF THE LOT FEATURES A DRIVEWAY THAT CURVES AROUND THE HOUSE AND TERMINATES AT A CARPORT.
THERE'S AN ENTRY TO THE KITCHEN IN THIS LOCATION INDICATING THAT THE DOORWAY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HOUSE FACING RIDGE OAK DRIVE AND OPENING ONTO THE FOYER AND LIVING ROOM OF THE HOUSE WAS DESIGNED TO BE THE MAIN ENTRY.
ARRANGING TWO DOORS IN THIS WAY INDICATES THAT THE AUTOMOBILE ENTRY MAY HAVE BEEN SEEN AS MORE OF A SERVICE ENTRY.
THE LONGER OF THE TWO WINGS EXTENDS TO THE NORTH AND INCLUDES LIVING AREAS AND BEDROOMS AND FEATURES A REAR DOOR FROM THE DINING ROOM TO A BROAD DECK THAT PROVIDES A VIEW OF DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
IT ALSO FEATURES AN AMPLE SWIMMING SWIMMING POOL, WHICH ABUTS, UH, WHICH ABUTS A RETAINING WALL.
A FLAT ROOF COVERS THE ENTIRE HOUSE WITH MODERATE OVERHANGS ON SEVERAL SIDES.
FENESTRATION IS GENERALLY NOT LARGE, BUT IS GROUPED IN SEVERAL AREAS TO CREATE A RIBBON WINDOW APPEARANCE AT THE REAR OF THE HOUSE.
NEAR THE DECK IS A LARGE BRICK CHIMNEY THAT EXTENDS ABOVE THE FLAT ROOF BY A FEW FEET FROM THE STREET.
THE EXTERIOR WALLS, WINDOWS, AND DOORS ARE WEATHERED, BUT APPEAR TO BE IN FAIR CONDITION.
THE PERRY FAMILY HAS A LONG HISTORY IN AUSTIN THAT STRETCHES ACROSS THE CITY, BOTH ARCHITECTURALLY AND CIVICALLY.
THE HOUSE AT 49 0 1 RIDGE OAK DRIVE WAS CONSTRUCTED FOR EDGAR AND KATHLEEN PERRY TO LIVE IN AFTER THEIR 1951 MARRIAGE AS AND WAS COMPLETED WHEN EDGAR PERRY THE THIRD WAS IN HIS EARLY TWENTIES.
IN THE SHORT YEARS AFTER THEIR MOVING IN, EDGAR WAS INVOLVED IN SEVERAL FAMILY BUSINESS VENTURES, INCLUDING SOUTHWEST LEDGE, STONE COMPANY, TERMINIX, UH, TERMITE CONTROL, AND MOST RECENTLY THE PERRY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, WHICH PRODUCED PLASTICS AND OTHER NEWLY DEVELOPED MATERIALS FOR DOMESTIC USE.
HE ALSO BECAME INVOLVED IN AND WAS LISTED AS OWNER OF THE MEMORIAL HILL MAUSOLEUM.
IN 1959, EDGAR PERRY III RAN FOR AND WAS ELECTED TO A SEAT ON THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL.
HE WOULD SERVE FOR FIVE YEARS, AND AT ONE POINT WOULD SERVE AS THE YOUNGEST MAYOR PRO TEM IN THE COUNTRY.
AFTER NOT SEEKING REELECTION, HE WOULD GO ON TO SERVE WITH NUMEROUS CHARITY BOARDS,
[01:45:01]
INCLUDING THE YMCA AND GOODWILL.KATHLEEN PERRY WAS INVOLVED IN RELIGIOUS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS ACROSS THE CITY AND FREQUENTLY APPEARED IN AUSTIN NEWSPAPERS IN THE FASHION SECTIONS AND BEST TRUST LISTS.
THE COUPLE HAD TWO DAUGHTERS TOGETHER WHILE LIVING AT RIDGE OAK DRIVE, UM, PROPERTIES MUST MEET TWO CRITERIA FOR A CITY OF AUSTIN LANDMARK DESIGNATION.
STAFF HAS VALU EVALUATE THE PROPERTY AND DETERMINE THAT IT DOES MEET TWO CRITERIA, THOSE BEING ARCHITECTURE.
AS THE, THE BUILDING IS A NOTABLE EXAMPLE OF MID-CENTURY RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE AND HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
THE PROPERTY APPEARS TO HAVE SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS, MOST NOTABLY WITH FORMER CITY COUNCIL MEMBER GER PERRY III.
CURRENTLY, THERE ARE PROPERTIES LANDMARKED WITH ASSOCIATION WITH EDGAR COMOR PERRY AND THE PERRY FAMILY, BUT NONE SPECIFICALLY WITH EDGAR PERRY II.
THEREFORE, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION IS TO CONSIDER INITIATING HISTORIC ZONING PENDING STRUCTURAL DOCUMENTATION SUBMITTED BY THE APPLICANT.
IF DESIGNATION IS NOT PURSUED, ENCOURAGE REHABILITATION AND ADAPTIVE REUSE, THEN RELOCATION OVER DEMOLITION, BUT RELEASE THE PERMIT UPON A COMPLETION OF A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
FINALLY, THIS, UM, APPLICATION IS SCHEDULED TO TIME OUT ON MAY 19TH, UH, MAKING NEXT MONTH'S, UH, COMMISSION MEETING, THE LAST ONE IN WHICH THIS COMMISSION MAY ACT ON IT.
THIS CONCLUDES THE STAFF REPORT.
ANY QUESTIONS OF STAFF? OKAY, HEARING NONE THEN I'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND IS THE APPLICANT AVAILABLE? YES, SIR.
MY NAME'S MARY MARGARET ERA AND MY HUSBAND REAGAN TAHITI, AND I OWN THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION.
UM, I FIRST WANNA START BY THANKING YOU ALL.
UM, REAGAN ACTUALLY A HUNDRED YEARS AGO WAS ON THE HISTORICAL REVIEW COMMITTEE IN CORPUS, AND I'M FROM GD, TEXAS, WHICH IS TEENY TINY, BUT THEY HAVE A BOARD OF ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW FOR THE HOR HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AND WE HAVE SOME PROPERTIES IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICTS.
WE'VE HAD TO PRESENT TO THEM MANY TIMES.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THIS KIND OF EXPERTISE DOES NOT EXIST IN THOSE KIND OF SMALLER COMMUNITIES.
SO THANK YOU AND THANK YOU TO THE STAFFER THAT PREPARED THE PACKET.
I'VE NEVER RECEIVED SUCH A PACKET ON A PROPERTY BEING PURCHASED, AND IT WAS REALLY COOL TO READ OVER ALL THOSE THINGS.
UM, WE LIVE IN CORPUS CHRISTI.
THIS WOULD BE A SECOND HOME FOR US.
UM, I GREW UP COMING TO AUSTIN MONTHLY TO VISIT ELDERLY RELATIVES.
I'M A THIRD GENERATION LONGHORN.
MY HUSBAND AND I BOTH COMPLETED OUR UNDERGRADUATE YEARS HERE IN AUSTIN.
UH, MY IN-LAWS HAVE HAD A HOME HERE SINCE THE EIGHTIES.
WE'RE HERE ALL THE TIME, WE'RE RABID LONGHORN FANS AND RAISING UP OUR THREE CHILDREN IN THE SAME LIGHT.
UM, SO IT WAS TIME TO GET A PLACE OF OUR OWN.
I'M TIRED OF STAYING IN A HOTEL AND WE'RE HERE SO MUCH.
I'D LIKE TO HAVE A PLACE OF OUR OWN.
SO WHAT DO YOU DO? YOU GET THE PHONE OUT IN THE NIGHT WHEN YOU'RE LAYING IN BED AND START LOOKING THROUGH THE MLS.
SO FIND THIS PROPERTY THAT'S BEEN FOR SALE FOR ALMOST A YEAR, THAT'S THREE QUARTERS OF AN ACRE.
IT'S IN A STONE'S THROW FROM MY IN-LAWS HOUSE.
AND, UM, ON THE MLS AND I THINK SOME OF THE PICTURES WERE IN THE PACKET, IT SHOWS A PICTURE OF THIS GORGEOUS VIEW, BUT THAT PICTURE IS TAKEN FROM THE ROOF OF THE HOUSE.
THAT'S NOT THE VIEW FROM THE STRUCTURE AS IT STA AS IT STANDS.
IT ALSO SHOWS, UM, THREE PICTURES OF THE HOME AS IT STANDS, THE EXTERNAL VIEW OF THE HOME.
AND THEN IT SHOWS I THINK, TWO GRAINY PICTURES OF THE INSIDE THAT WERE PROBABLY OLDER BECAUSE IT SHOWS IT IN A, IN A LIGHT THAT IT DOES NOT LOOK AT PRESENT.
UM, THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE MLS WAS WHAT THE PROPERTY COULD BE.
IT SHOWS A RENDERING OF KIND OF A FUTURISTIC TREE HOUSE LOOKING HOME.
UM, IT TALKS ABOUT SPLITTING THE PROPERTY INTO DIFFERENT, UH, MAYBE TWO PROPERTIES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND I THINK THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT MIGHT HAVE, UM, RAISED CONCERN IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE WE DID HAVE SOME NEIGHBORS THAT WROTE IN, IN DISSENT FROM DEMOLITION.
I, I FEEL LIKE WE'VE HAD A TON OF NEIGHBORS WRITE IN FOR DEMOLITION, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE DID HAVE SOME DISSENTING AND I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY WHY THAT RENDERING THAT'S AVAILABLE ON THE MLS PICTURES, THAT IS NOT WHAT WE INTEND TO DO.
BUT I'LL BE FRANK AND HONEST THAT WHEN WE LOOKED AT THIS MLS AND PURCHASED THIS PROPERTY IN GOOD FAITH, OUR WHOLE INTENT WAS TO TAKE THIS HOUSE DOWN.
IT WAS NEVER THE THOUGHT TO KEEP THIS HOME.
IT'S GOT AN INADEQUATE FLOW, INADEQUATE NUMBER OF BEDROOMS FOR THE AMOUNT OF CHILDREN THAT WE HAVE.
UM, IT DOES NOT CAPTURE THE VIEW.
UM, AND SO THAT WAS NEVER OUR INTENT.
SO AFTER PURCHASING IT, WE DID ENLIST PROFESSIONALS.
WE HAVE A FABULOUS AUSTIN BASED ARCHITECT AND AUSTIN BUILDER AND AUSTIN DESIGNER.
AND WE'VE ALREADY COME UP WITH A PLAN, WHICH I THINK IS A VERY BEAUTIFUL HOME.
UM, IT'S CONSIDERATE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S NOT SOME THREE STORY SILLY.
IT, IT, IT FITS, IT'S APPROPRIATE, IT'S GORGEOUS.
AND SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT THE NEIGHBORS HAD VOICED, UM, I WANNA DISPEL THOSE.
I HEARD SOME COMMENTS THAT WE WOULD CHANGE THE TRAFFIC FLOW BY HAVING A DRIVEWAY IN A DIFFERENT AREA.
WE ARE NOT, WE INTEND TO PUT THE DRIVEWAY IN THE SAME PLACE THAT IT IS.
WE DON'T INTEND TO DISRUPT ANY OF THE TREES.
THE HOME THAT WE HAVE PLANNED GOES IN THE SAME SORT
[01:50:01]
OF FOOTPRINT OF THE HOME THAT'S THERE.UM, WE ARE, THE HOME THAT WE'VE PROJECTED HAS SORT OF THE BEDROOMS DOWNSTAIRS AND THE MAIN LIVING SPACES UPSTAIRS SO THAT WE CAN CAPITALIZE AND SEE THE VIEW FROM THE COMMON AREAS.
AND IT HAS MORE OF AN OPEN PLAN THAT'S APPROPRIATE FOR US WITH OUR SMALL CHILDREN.
UM, WE TRIGGERED FOR YOUR COMMISSION ON TWO DIFFERENT ASPECTS.
NUMBER ONE, THAT THE HOUSE WAS CONSIDERED AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF MID-CENTURY MODERN DESIGN.
AND NUMBER TWO, THE HISTORIC PEOPLE THAT WERE, UM, ALLEGED TO HAVE LIVED THERE FOR SOME TIME.
SO ON THE MID-CENTURY MODERN, UM, ASPECT OF IT, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE HOUSE WAS DESIGNED BY BARTON RILEY.
UM, I'M NO EXPERT LIKE YOU GUYS.
SO WE TOOK A LITTLE, UM, RESEARCH, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE HOME WAS BUILT IN 51.
HE GRADUATED FROM TEXAS IN 1950 AND WORKED INITIALLY FOR SOME LARGE ARCHITECTURAL FIRMS, THEN LATER WENT ON AND HAD A PARTNER AND THEN STARTED HIS OWN FIRM.
SO IF THIS WAS HIS DESIGN, I QUESTION HOW MUCH WAS JUST BARTON RILEY OR WAS THIS A PART OF THE BIG, YOU KNOW, GROUP OF DECISION IN THIS ARCHITECTURAL FIRM? UM, I'VE, I'VE SEARCHED BARTON RILEY AND FOUND MULTIPLE DIFFERENT HOMES THAT ARE HIS DESIGN IN THE AREA.
I'VE INCLUDED THUMBNAIL IMAGES OF THOSE HOMES IN THE PACKET, UM, THAT I SUBMITTED.
BUT THESE HOMES EXHIBIT THINGS, UM, WHEN RESEARCHING MID-CENTURY MODERN, THOSE QUINTESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THOSE HOMES.
LIKE, UM, OPEN FLOOR PLANS, FLOOR TO CEILING, WINDOWS, ASYMMETRY IN THE ARCHITECTURE.
SHORT, CHOPPY LITTLE STAIRCASES THAT GO BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT AREAS, WOOD PANELING, EXPOSED NATURAL STONE WALLS.
UM, I JUST CONTEND THAT THIS HOUSE REALLY DOESN'T HAVE THAT.
IT HAS A MIL A MULTITUDE OF PROBLEMS, WHICH I'LL LEAVE TO THE EXPERTS TO DEFINE.
AND MA'AM, MA'AM, THAT IS YOUR TIME.
UM, BASICALLY THAT AND THAT, YOU KNOW, YES, THE PERRY FAMILY IS VERY WELL KNOWN.
THIS IS FOR THE GRANDSON OF COMMODORE PERRY.
SO I DON'T KNOW HOW FAR DOWN HISTORICAL ATTRIBUTES GO IN A LINEAGE.
UM, HE WAS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER FOR ONE TERM.
HE LIVED THERE WITH HIS FIRST WIFE FOR A SINGLE DIGIT NUMBER OF YEARS.
SO I DON'T KNOW, IT'S A KIND OF A SLIPPERY SLOPE IN AUSTIN.
WE HAVE A LOT OF MUSICIANS, ACTORS, YOU KNOW, ATHLETES, ALL THESE THINGS.
WHERE DO WE DRAW THE LINE OF WHAT'S, WHO'S A HISTORICAL PERSON AND WE'RE TO DESIGNATE THAT.
ANY QUESTION OF THE APPLICANT? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
ALRIGHT, IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION OF THE REQUEST? PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE, IDENTIFY YOURSELF.
HI, UH, MY NAME IS JAY QUARTER.
UM, I BASICALLY JUST WANNA USE MY TIME TO MAYBE BE A LITTLE BIT MORE GRANULAR ABOUT SPECIFICALLY THE CONDITION OF THE BUILDING.
UM, YOU HAVE IT IN YOUR PACKET.
I'VE GOT, UM, I'VE BEEN PRACTICING IN AUSTIN FOR 31 YEARS.
I'VE GOT EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE WITH NOT ONLY OTHER HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT HOMES, BUT PARTICULARLY THOSE OF MID-CENTURY, UM, DESIGN.
SO I THOUGHT I WOULD JUST, UM, GIVE THAT AS CONTEXT TO SORT OF THE ASSESSMENT OF THE BUILDING THAT WE'VE DONE, UM, TO HOPEFULLY PUT INTO, INTO PERSPECTIVE THE SORT OF TIME AND EFFORT, UH, THAT IT WOULD TAKE TO SORT OF RESTORE THE BUILDING.
UM, AND I USE THAT TERM LOOSELY.
UM, ESSENTIALLY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WITH THIS BUILDING IS IT WOULD BE A REPLICA.
UM, THE STAFF MENTIONED WHITE STONE.
IT'S NOT WHITE STONE, IT'S SANDSTONE THAT'S BEEN PAINTED WITH WHITE PAINT AND IT'S LEAD BASED PAINT.
UM, THE SIDING ORIGINALLY IS REDWOOD.
THE REASON THE, THE, I SUSPECT THE REASON WHY THEY HAVE BEEN PAINTED IS BECAUSE THERE IS ZERO SLOPE ON THE ROOF.
UM, THE WATER HAS OVER TIME DESTROYED.
UM, SORT OF THE INTEGRITY OF THE SYSTEM ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FOUNDATION.
THEN SEVERAL PLACES, THERE ARE NO SEAL PLATES.
UM, SO TO RE REMEDIATE THE STONE IN AND OF ITSELF, UM, HIGHLY SUSPECT WHETHER IT'S EVEN EVEN POSSIBLE WITHOUT ABLATING IT.
UM, SANDBLASTING IS USUALLY WHAT THEY RECOMMEND.
BUT WITH LEAD PAINT, YOU CAN'T DO THAT VARIOUS SUCCESS WITH CHEMICAL PAINT.
BUT THAT'S, UH, IN ANY CASE, PROBABLY GOING TO END UP BEING A REDO.
THE, THE CRUX OF IT TO ME IS THE, THE ROOF.
WE DON'T BUILD FLAT ROOFS LIKE THAT ANYMORE.
UM, IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY HAVE TO CHANGE THE PROFILE OF THE BUILDING.
UM, IT WOULD NEED GREATER OVERHANGS, IT WOULD NEED INTEGRAL GUTTERS, INTERNAL GUTTERS.
UM, RECENTLY WE HAVE HAD THREE PROJECTS THAT HAVE NOT HAVE BEEN IN THREAT OF NOT BEING INSURED BECAUSE THEY HAVE A-T-P-O-P-V-C OR ROLLED ASPHALT ROOF ROOF.
[01:55:01]
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO WITH THAT, BUT THAT IS PROBLEMATIC FOR THIS HOUSE IN PARTICULAR.UM, BEYOND THAT, THERE ARE NUMEROUS, UH, ISSUES WITH CODE EGRESS WINDOWS THAT AREN'T THERE.
UH, ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS THAT ARE STILL CLOTH WIRING.
UM, LACK OF R VALUE CAPABILITY IN THE WALL SECTION THAT EXISTS.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE PLACES ON THE FOUNDATION IN THE SUSPENDED CRAWLSPACE THAT THERE ARE VISIBLE SIGNS OF RUST AND REBAR FAILING.
PROBABLY COULD BE IMMEDIATE REMEDIATED IF IT WERE EVEN POSSIBLE TO GET DOWN THERE WITH REASONABLE EQUIPMENT, WHICH IT'S NOT MR. CARTER.
THAT'S YOUR, THAT'S YOUR TIME.
SO I COULD GO ON AND ON, BUT THAT, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS SOME COLOR, UH, ON THE CONDITION OF THE BUILDING.
REALLY THE, IN MY, IN MY ASSESSMENT, WHOEVER IT WAS THAT PAINTED THE BUILDING IS THE ONE THAT REALLY TOOK IT OVER THE EDGE BECAUSE YOU CAN'T, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO ESCAPE FROM THAT.
UH, COMMISSIONERS ARE THERE QUESTIONS OF THE ARCHITECT? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
A NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE, PLEASE COME TO THE MICROPHONE AND IDENTIFY YOURSELF.
MY NAME IS MIKE MCCONE AND I'M, UH, BEEN ASKED TO, UH, HELP THIS FAMILY CREATE A HOME IN AUSTIN FOR THEIR, UH, GROWING FAMILY.
AND TO BE ABLE TO BRING A SORT OF A UNITY BETWEEN THE GENERATIONS, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE ALL SHOULD HAVE, HAVE TO REITERATE.
UH, YOU HAVE A TOTAL SET OF PACKAGES HERE OF ALL THE EXPERTS LOOKING AT THIS AND SAYING, THERE'S NOTHING TO SAVE.
IF WE'RE GONNA GO AND DO ANYTHING TO THIS HOUSE, IT'S GONNA END UP BEING A REPLICATION.
UH, MR. PERRY, UH, MOVED IN IN 1952, MOVED OUT IN 1959, SO SIX YEARS, UH, HIS FIRST HOUSE AND HE MOVED ON.
SO HIS ASSOCIATION WITH THE HOUSE IS VERY SHORT TERM.
UH, THE ARCHITECT, UH, IS ALSO, UH, SUSPECT IN HIS ASSOCIATION WITH IT DUE TO THE FACT THAT HE WAS JUST GRADUATED FROM SCHOOL AND WAS WORKING AS DESCRIBED IN AN ARCHITECTURE FIRM.
I DOUBT THAT HE HAD A SEAL THAT HE PUT ON ANY PLANS.
THIS HOUSE WAS BUILT IN 1951 AND AUSTIN WAS IN IT.
BOOM WAR WAS OVER AND THE 1928 PLAN WAS IN FULL SWING ALL OVER THE CITY.
YOU HAD A SITUATION WHERE THAT PLAN WAS REINFORCED THROUGH THE DEED RESTRICTIONS ON THESE PLA SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE'VE MOVED BEYOND THAT AND, UH, JUST BARELY, BECAUSE IT WASN'T UNTIL 20 16, 20 14 THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN ACTUALLY WENT FROM A PLACE SYSTEM TO A, BY THE DISTRICT SYSTEM.
SO THE MINORITY PEOPLE
THIS PARTICULAR APPLIC, UH, OWNER OF HIS WEDDING HOME, IF YOU WILL, UH, WAS PART OF THE SYSTEM THAT EXISTED AT THAT TIME.
AND SO WE HAVE TO TAKE AN TO ACCOUNT THAT AGAIN, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT MARS THE HOUSE AS WORTHY OF A HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
COMMODORE PERRY, UH, MAY HAVE HAD HIS, HIS ALL HIS HOUSES ARE, YOU KNOW, IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD IN HAN, UH, OVER THERE IN HANCOCK GOLF COURSE.
AND, UH, IT'S BEEN GREATLY RESTORED AND REUSED AND THERE'S JUST NOTHING.
I MEAN, LIKE THAT ONE, IT IS A REAL MANSION AND IT'S TURNED INTO A NICE HOTEL.
THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY IS NOT A MANSION, IT IS A TEAR DOWN.
ANY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL? UH, FROM COMMISSIONERS? ALRIGHT.
IT DOES MAKE ME THINK OF, UM, WHAT YOU TALKING ABOUT THE FLAT ROOF.
ANY, AT THIS POINT WE'RE NOT HAVING OUR CONVERSATION.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTION? HOWEVER OF ANY PRESENTER? OH, I'M SORRY.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? UM, NO, NOT AT THE MOMENT.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE HERE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? PLEASE COME FORWARD.
AND WHEN YOU COME TO THE MIC, PLEASE, UH, IDENTIFY YOURSELF.
[02:00:01]
WE ARE STILL ON IN, IN FAVOR OF DEMOLITION.ANYBODY IN FAVOR? UH, AT THIS POINT, I'M IN FAVOR OF DI DEMOLITION.
UH, I LIVE AT 48 0 2 RIDGE OAK, WHICH IS ACROSS THE STREET FROM THIS HOUSE.
UM, I'VE BEEN AN AUSTIN RESIDENT SINCE 1980.
WHEN I CAME UP HERE TO GO TO SCHOOL.
UH, I'VE LIVED IN SOME OF THE MOST AMAZING MID-CENTURY MODERN HOUSES IN AUSTIN.
UH, AND I CAN TELL YOU THIS IS NOT ONE OF 'EM.
UH, THIS HOUSE IN THE TIME THAT I'VE LIVED ACROSS THE STREET, HAS BEEN A GATHERING PLACE OF TEENAGERS AND TRANSIENTS AND OTHERS.
YOU CAN SEE THE CONDITION OF THE HOUSE, UM, AND IT'S AN EYESORE.
UM, YOU CAN GO THROUGH THE HOUSE FOR SOME YEARS THAT I'VE LIVED THERE, IT WAS EASY TO WALK AROUND THE PROPERTY OR ACCESS IT.
UH, AND THERE IS NOTHING ABOUT THIS THAT IS ATTRACTIVE.
THERE'S NOTHING ABOUT IT THAT IS HISTORICAL.
UH, AND I CAN TELL YOU, HAVING SPOKE TO MANY PEOPLE WHO LIVE WITHIN 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 HOUSES OF THIS HOUSE, WE ARE ALL OF AN OPINION THAT THIS HAS BECOME A REAL PROBLEM FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD, IS AN EYESORE FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND NOBODY'S WANTED TO DO ANYTHING TO IT UNTIL SOME PEOPLE CAME FROM CORPUS AND WERE WILLING TO BUY IT AND DO SOMETHING AND HELP THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE REST OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD IS IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE.
THE HOUSES ARE IN GOOD CONDITION.
THERE ARE, UM, REALLY, UH, NO HOUSES IN THIS CONDITION.
UH, AND ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY LIVE THERE, UH, AND WHO LOVE THE NEIGHBORHOOD, UH, WE WOULD ASK THAT YOU ALLOW THESE PEOPLE TO TURN THIS INTO SOMETHING BETTER.
UH, AND SOMETHING BETTER IS NOT WHAT'S THERE.
IT'S NOT WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED.
UH, AND IT'S NOT SOMETHING, AND I'VE SEEN THEM, UM, DO, THEY DID IT TO HOUSE I OWNED OVER ON ELTON ONCE THEY TOOK IT DOWN TO THE, UH, TO THE BASEBOARDS OR DOWN TO THE, UH, FLOORING, AND THEY REBUILT IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO HERE BASED ON EVERYTHING I'VE SEEN AND KNOW.
AND, AND THAT'S NOT HISTORICAL.
THAT'S JUST SOMEBODY BUILDING A MODEL OF SOMETHING THAT SOMEBODY ELSE HAD A LONG TIME AGO.
AND ON THE HISTORICAL NOTE OF THE PERRY'S, I, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN OVER TO THE COMMODORE PERRY HOTEL.
HE WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF AUSTIN'S HERITAGE, BUT HIS GRANDSON, YOU KNOW, IF WE START PRESERVING HOUSES THAT POLITICIANS HAVE LIVED IN AND AUSTIN BASED ON THAT AND THE FACT THAT THE HOUSE IS 50 YEARS OLD, WE'LL HAVE TO PRESERVE HALF THE TOWN'S HOUSES.
AND SO ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE THAT REALLY CARE AND THAT LIVE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WE'D ASK THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER THE DEMOLITION.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, IS THERE ANOTHER SPEAKER IN FAVOR OF THE DEMOLITION REQUEST? OKAY, IF THERE ARE NONE, IS THERE ANYBODY HERE SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION? THERE'S NO ONE SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION.
UH, YOU'RE NOT HERE TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION.
MR. MCCOMB, YOU'VE ALREADY SPOKEN IN FAVOR.
NO, WE WERE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THERE WAS SOMEONE HERE, SO THE OWNER, UH, MARY MARGARET'S HUSBAND WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK IF THAT WOULD BE OKAY.
WELL, WE STILL HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING.
AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, UH, YES, HE MAY CERTAINLY GO AHEAD, COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE I CAN ADD THAT HASN'T ALREADY BEEN SAID.
AND MY WIFE SAID THAT IT WAS A HUNDRED YEARS AGO THAT I SERVED ON THE LANDMARK COMMISSION.
IT WAS A FEW YEARS AGO, BUT I ENJOYED DOING IT.
AND WE, WE PRESERVED AND SAVED A LOT OF HOUSES IN CORPUS CHRISTI, AND I WOULD INVITE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU TO CHECK OUT, UH, HERITAGE PARK IN CORPUS CHRISTI, WHICH WE EXPANDED WHEN I WAS THERE, UH, WHICH BRINGS OLD HOMES THAT ARE GONNA BE DEMOLISHED AND BRINGS THEM IN INTO THE PARK AND, UH, THE CITY DI DIVERTS FUNDS TO, TO REDO THOSE HOMES.
AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY A, A SPECTACLE AND A NICE PLACE TO SEE.
UM, AS, AS AN ATTORNEY LIKE MR. MODEST SAID, THE ONE THING THAT I JUST KEEP GETTING STUCK ON IS, IS THE ONE PRONG OF, OF SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION.
UM, I, I APPRECIATE THE, THE STAFF FINDING OUT THAT, THAT EDGAR PERRY III LIVED THERE.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATUTE ITSELF, SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION, AND YOU WERE TO CHANGE EDGAR PERRY II'S NAME TO EDGAR JOHNSON, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE? YOU'D HAVE HIM SERVING ONE TERM ON THE CITY COUNCIL AND, AND, AND BEING A BUSINESSMAN WHO HIS WIFE OCCASIONALLY GOTTEN INTO THE NEWSPAPERS, AND HE DID TOO.
[02:05:01]
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, SEE THAT AS, AS A SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT HIS GRANDFATHER WAS EDGAR PERRY.SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE PART TO ME.
I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE, TO THE, UM, UH, THE MID-CENTURY MODERN ARCHITECTURE.
I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.
BUT THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S THE PART TO ME THAT I KEEP GETTING TRIPPED UP ON, THAT I DON'T THINK MEETS THE CRITERIA TO ME.
UH, LOOKING AT, AT THE SITUATION.
WE'VE, WE'VE SPENT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS DOING STUDIES FROM THE LAST MEETING TO THIS ONE.
UM, AND, AND WE'VE TALKED TO, TO PLENTY OF, OF NEIGHBORS.
UH, AND I THINK NOW THAT YOUR, YOUR PRO TEAR DOWN VERSUS YOUR CON TEAR DOWN LETTERS, UH, THERE'S A LOT MORE PRO THAN THAN CON WE TIME OUT MAY 18TH.
IT'S, IT'S MY HOPE AND IT'S MY WIFE'S HOPE, AND THE PEOPLE HERE THAT ARE, ARE SUPPORTING US.
AND I THANK MR. RICHTER, MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR FOR BEING HERE AS WELL TO, UM, TO, TO GIVE US AN UP OR DOWN VOTE SO WE CAN MOVE ON.
UM, AND, AND WRAP THIS UP, BECAUSE FRANKLY, I DON'T SEE ANYTHING OF SIGNIFICANCE HAPPENING BETWEEN NOW, UH, AND THE NEXT ARCHITECTURAL REVIEW MEETING.
ARE THERE ANY FURTHER SPEAKERS FOR OR AGAINST? ALRIGHT, HEARING NONE, UH, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SECOND COMMISSIONER COOK, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MWATER.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, UM, AS YOU HEARD, THIS WILL BE TIME OUT.
UM, IF WE ARE GOING TO INITIATE ZONING, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE AT THIS MEETING BECAUSE YOU CAN'T DO THAT WITH ENOUGH TIME FOR THE TIMEOUT.
IF WE WAITED UNTIL NEXT MEETING, UH, WE ALSO CAN DELAY OR WE CAN RELEASE THE PERMIT.
UM, SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
WELL, FOR THE SAKE OF GENERATING SOME DISCUSSION, I WILL GO AHEAD AND VOTE TO INITIATE HISTORIC OR VOTE TO INITIATE THE HISTORIC ZONING.
IS THERE A SECOND? SO NOW I CAN SPEAK TO MY MOTION.
WELL, ONLY IF YOU HAVE A SECOND.
SO I, I'LL GO AHEAD AND SECOND IT AS WELL.
WELL, SO THAT WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL HAVE A, A MOTION AND A SECOND TO, UM, INITIATE THE HISTORIC ZONING.
BUT GO AHEAD AND SPEAK TO YOUR, SO I DON'T, THE PUBLIC HEARING TOO.
AND, AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO DO WE NEED TO VOTE NOW OR DO I JUST, CAN I JUST SPEAK? NO, YOU CAN YOU GO AHEAD.
YOU SPEAK TO YOUR MOTION BEFORE VOTE.
SO I DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT I WILL SUPPORT THIS MOTION.
I JUST WANTED TO START IT SO THAT I COULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME, A FEW THINGS READ INTO THE RECORD AND PROVOKE SOME DISCUSSION AMONGST THE, THE GROUP.
SO, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE TWO MAIN QUESTIONS ARE, IS EDGAR PERRY THE THIRD SIGNIFICANT, UH, AND IS THE, UH, THE ARCHITE OR THE ARCHITECTURE SIGNIFICANT? SO LET ME START WITH EDGAR PERRY III.
UM, I HAVE FROM, UH, HIS DAUGHTER, UH, SHERRY GALA, WHO WAS ALSO, UH, A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
UH, A SUMMARY OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HE DID OVER THE COURSE OF HIS, UH, TIME IN AUSTIN.
SO, UH, I'LL JUST READ A LIST HERE REAL QUICK.
UH, SO IN ADDITION TO BEING ON CITY COUNCIL, UH, FOUNDING DIRECTOR AND PRESIDENT OF THE AUSTIN YMCA, UH, BOARD MEMBER OF THE TRAVIS COUNTY CHAMP CHAPTER OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS CHARTER DIRECTOR OF THE BOYS CLUB OF OF AMERICA IN AUSTIN, TRUSTEE OF THE UNITED FUND OF AUSTIN, PRESIDENT OF TRAVIS COUNTY CHILD WELFARE BOARD, CHAIRMAN OF THE FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN FOR CYSTIC FIBROSIS, TRUSTEE OF THE TEXAS BAPTIST CHILDREN'S HOME IN ROUND ROCK ADVISORY BOARD OF THE SOUTHWEST BAPTIST THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY IN FORT WORTH.
UM, IN 2007, HE RECEIVED THE COMMUNITY STAR AWARD FROM THE TRAVIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN 19 70 70, HE RECEIVED RECOGNITION FROM THE TRAVIS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES FOR HIS OUTSTANDING HUMANITARIAN SERVICES.
THERE'S ALSO A LONG LIST OF THINGS THAT HIS WIFE DID, UH, AS WELL.
SO I JUST, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST IN RESPONSE TO THE QUESTION, BECAUSE IT IS DIFFICULT WHEN WE STAND UP HERE OR SIT UP HERE AND DISCUSS WHETHER AN INDIVIDUAL AND THEIR, UH, THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE COMMUNITY, THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY, COMMUNITY ARE, WHETHER THEY'RE SIGNIFICANT OR NOT, WHETHER THEY'RE HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT, UM, IS, IS NOT SO MUCH WHEN I THINK ABOUT TEMPERATURE, IT'S NOT A, A NUMBER, IT'S A FEELING.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO PICK ONE SPECIFIC THING AND SAY, WELL, THAT WAS HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT.
THIS IS WHAT PUTS THIS PERSON OVER THE LINE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS WITH THIS PARTICULAR PERSON, BUT I DO BELIEVE
[02:10:01]
THAT HE WAS VERY PROMINENT IN THE COMMUNITY, DID CONTRIBUTE QUITE A BIT.AND THERE IS SIGNIFICANCE TO THAT.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT ON HIS OWN, UM, THERE'S SUFFICIENT, YOU KNOW, ACCOMPLISHMENT.
HE ALSO, UM, I BELIEVE WAS THE YOUNGEST, UH, MAYOR PRO TIM IN THE COUNTRY AT THE TIME THAT HE WAS APPOINTED SUCH, SO THERE ARE CERTAINLY THINGS THAT I THINK ARE WORTH, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERING ABOUT HIM.
I MEAN, I'VE LIVED IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD FOR A LONG TIME.
THIS IS MY NEIGHBORHOOD WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UH, I'VE RESEARCHED IT QUITE EXTENSIVELY.
I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TELL EVEN THE PERRY FAMILY SOME INTERESTING THINGS THAT THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE KNOWN.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN 19, I BELIEVE IT WAS EITHER 45 OR 46 WHEN HE SUBMITTED, WHEN EDGAR PERRY, UH, SENIOR SUBMITTED PLANS FOR HIGHLAND PARK WEST.
IT WAS NOT CALLED HIGHLAND PARK WEST, IT WAS CALLED SKY PARK.
AND IT HAD PLANS FOR AN AIRPORT WITH TWO, UH, UH, RUNWAYS.
SO THIS IS THE VISION OF A MAN FROM 19 45, 19 46 FOR WHAT HE THOUGHT ABOUT WHERE THE CITY OF AUSTIN WAS HEADED.
AND SO HE DEVELOPED THIS INCREDIBLE NEIGHBORHOOD USING ARCHITECTS SUCH AS ARTHUR FAIR AND CHARLES GRANGER, UM, TO DESIGN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THE ENTIRE SHOPPING CENTER THAT IS SUR IT SURROUNDS, UM, THAT, UH, COULD ALL BE TRANSVERSED AND, AND, AND WALKED WITHOUT PA CROSSING A MAJOR STREET.
THAT WAS ALL BY DESIGN, THAT WAS ALL VERY INNOVATIVE AT THE TIME.
SO HERE'S THIS EXTRAORDINARY DEVELOPMENT THAT HE HAS, UH, ENVISIONED AND CREATED.
AND THEN HE HAS CHERRY PICKED THE PRIME SPOT IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD FOR HIS GRANDSON.
AND THEN HIS GRANDSON, I BELIEVE, WENT ON TO, YOU KNOW, LIVE UP TO A CERTAIN EXTENT TO HIS, HIS NAME WITH SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR IN THE, IN THE COMMUNITY IN AUSTIN.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE, UM, THE, THE ARCHITECT.
SO, UH, I DON'T HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE OTHER THAN FROM SHERRY, UH, PERRY OR GALLO, UH, THE, IT WAS BARDEN RILEY THAT DESIGNED THE, UH, THE HOME FOR THEM.
BUT THAT, THAT IS WHAT SHE HAS TOLD ME, UM, BASED ON MY INFORMATION.
SO I'VE, YOU KNOW, DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH.
I'VE IDENTIFIED NINE HOMES IN OUR KIND OF COLLECTION OF NEIGHBORHOODS OF HIGHLAND PARK, WEST BALCONES PARK, COLORADO FOOTHILLS, BEVERLY HILLS, UH, THAT WERE DESIGNED BY BARTON RILEY.
AND I THINK IT'S A VALID POINT.
UM, THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS DESIGNED IN 1951 IS THIS ONE.
SO I DO BELIEVE IF HE WAS ASSOCIATED WITH IT, IT WAS FRESH OUTTA SCHOOL.
THE OTHERS THAT I'VE FOUND NOTHING BEFORE 1956, AND THEN ON TO 19 60, 19 62.
SO THE MAJORITY OF THE WORK THAT HE DID WAS LATER IN THAT DECADE.
SO I THINK THAT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT TO CONSIDER.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE ARCHITECTURE, UH, YOU KNOW, TO EACH HIS OWN, EVERYBODY HAS DIFFERENT TASTES ON WHAT, WHAT THEY REALLY LIKE.
IT, IT IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT LONG, LOW, FLAT, UH, MID-CENTURY DESIGN.
UM, BUT AESTHETICALLY I AGREE, IT IS, IT IS PROBABLY NOT THE BEST EXAMPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF BARTON RILEY'S WORK.
AND WE'VE ACTUALLY, THIS IS SOMETHING I WANTED TO ALSO BRING UP FOR US FOR DISCUSSION JUST FOR THE FUTURE.
UM, SO THERE'S NINE HOMES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT, UH, WERE DESIGNED BY BARTON RILEY.
SO IN, TO USE THE METAPHOR FROM EARLIER, THAT'S NINE SALAMANDERS.
SO HOW MANY SALAMANDERS DO WE NEED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD? AND THAT'S, THAT'S, I, I THINK AN IMPORTANT QUESTION BECAUSE, UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT IT, IT MERITS ALL OF THEM BEING SAVED.
AND WE, YOU KNOW, 39 41 BALCONES IS THE RAINY STREET, WHICH WAS, OR THE RAINY HOUSE, WHICH WAS DESIGNED BY BARTON RILEY.
SO WE DO HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF BARTON RILEY'S WORK THAT IS LANDMARKED IN, IN THE AREA.
UM, THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, THERE HAVE BEEN, UH, AS MANY PEOPLE OPPOSED TO THE DEMOLITION AS IN FAVOR OF IT.
UM, THAT, THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM, AT LEAST BY COUNT OF THE LETTERS.
AND THE TWO FOLKS THAT I HEARD FROM THAT NEVER DID SEND A LETTER IN.
[02:15:02]
SO IT IS DIVISIVE.UM, AND I AM VERY, VERY WARY OF, UH, LANDMARKING AGAINST AN OWNER'S WISH.
IT'S BETTER TO HAVE SOMEBODY BUY THE HOUSE THAT WANTS TO SAVE IT.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE IDEAL SITUATION.
AND WE'RE ALWAYS VERY, VERY EAGER TO WORK WITH THOSE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT, THAT RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE WHAT THEY HAVE AND WANT TO RESTORE IT AND SAVE IT AND, AND, YOU KNOW, PROTECT THAT FOR POSTERITY.
SO, UM, THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF MY THOUGHTS.
I, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM ANYBODY ELSE ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK.
AND I THINK THAT IN THIS SITUATION, SINCE WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE, IF IT'S GOING TO BE WORTHY OF A LANDMARK, THE DESIGNATION REQUEST TONIGHT WOULD INITIATE THAT WE WOULD STILL HAVE WORK BY STAFF.
THEY WOULD COME BACK AT NEXT MEETING.
AND IN DOING SO, THEN WE WOULD HAVE THE CHANCE TO MAKE THE FINAL VOTE.
UM, I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE STRUCTURE.
UM, I DO SEE A CONDITION REPORT.
IT'S NOT THE SAME THING AS THE STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS.
UH, BUT I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF, A LOT OF ITEMS THAT I THINK WOULD PERSUADE ME THAT THIS IN FACT IS PROBABLY BEYOND THE POINT OF BEING ABLE TO BE RESTORED REASONABLY.
UH, IN WHICH CASE I WOULD SAY I WOULD NOT INITIATING THIS IF IT'S, IF IT'S WHAT WE DO, UH, WOULD NOT NECESSARILY MEAN THAT I WOULD VOTE TO, UM, GO AHEAD AND, AND HAVE IT HISTORIC OVER AND OWNER'S OBJECTIONS, BUT AT LEAST WOULD GIVE US MORE RESEARCH AND MORE TIME TO CONSIDER THAT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I SECONDED THE MOTION
UH, DOES ANYBODY ELSE, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS WANT TO DISCUSS THIS MOTION? YEAH, I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE ALL THE INFORMATION.
IT BROUGHT ME UP AND THEN IT BROUGHT ME DOWN AGAIN.
SO I, I THINK, UH, I'M NOT GONNA SUPPORT THE MOTION.
UM, IT WAS GREAT TO HAVE THAT HISTORY READ IN.
I THINK IT'S GONNA BE GREAT TO HAVE A CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE DONE ON THIS AS A POTENTIAL EARLY BARTON RILEY WORK.
BUT I AGREE OF, OF ALL THE ONES THAT EXIST THIS AND JUST LOOKING AT THE PICTURES, THEY'RE MUCH MORE DRAMATIC.
THIS COULD HAVE BEEN THE VERY FIRST ONE THAT WAS DONE.
IT'S MORE OF ACADEMIC INTEREST.
IT'S A GREAT LOT, BEAUTIFUL LOT, PROMINENT LOT.
UM, AND THAT KIND OF WEIGHS WAS WEIGHING, THAT WAS THE ONE THING THAT WAS REALLY WEIGHING DOWN ON ME WAS IT MAY NOT BE THE BEST ONE, BUT IT'S THE MOST VISIBLE ONE.
BUT PEOPLE STOP PAINTING BRICK AND STONE.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE STOP PAINTING BRICK AND STONE, REALIZING THAT THAT WAS ALL PAINTED AND THE REDWOOD WAS PAINTED, HAD ADDED TO IT.
HAVING SEEN THE FOUNDATIONS AND THE CRACK AND THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE RAISED CONCRETE FOUNDATIONS.
YEAH, IT'S ALL FIXABLE, BUT IT'S ALL KIND OF ADDING UP TO, TO, UM, ME NOT VOTING FOR THE MOTION.
AGAIN, MORE, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION BEFORE WE TAKE THE VOTE? ALRIGHT, NO MORE DISCUSSION.
THOSE IN FAVOR OF INITIATING THE HISTORIC ZONING ON THE PROPERTY, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
AND, UH, ALL THE REST OF THE HANDS ARE RAISED.
SO I WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO SUPPORTED THE MOTION.
'CAUSE AGAIN, I THOUGHT WE COULD BUY A LITTLE MORE TIME.
UH, THAT OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T PASS.
AND THEREFORE I WILL ENTERTAIN ANOTHER MOTION ON THIS.
MY GENERAL DISPOSITION ON BUYING A LITTLE MORE TIME IS THAT WHEN, WHEN WE KIND OF KNOW WHERE THINGS ARE HEADED, I, I, I JUST DON'T, I DON'T LIKE TO DELAY THINGS.
I REALLY DON'T LIKE TO GO AGAINST AN OWNER'S WISHES.
SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE ABOUT TO MAKE A MOTION.
SO THEN THAT'S WHY I, THAT WE MAKE HOLD ON THE CONVERSATION.
THEN LET'S GET A MOTION SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION.
I'LL MOVE TO RELEASE DEMOLITION PERMIT PENDING THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE.
UH, COMMISSIONER EPSTEIN, UH, EXCUSE ME.
UH, COMMISSIONER COOK, WOULD YOU LIKE TO DISCUSS YOUR MOTION? I, I APPRECIATE NOT BEING THE ONE WANTING TO BE THE ONE TO DO IT GI GIVEN YOUR, YOUR FEELING FOR MID-CENTURY MODERN AND THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT, UH, AND I APPRECIATE THE THOROUGH AND BALANCED, UH, INFORMATION YOU PROVIDED, SO THANKS.
WELL, AND ACTUALLY I WOULD, I'D LIKE TO, IF POSSIBLE EITHER ABSTAIN OR VOTE IN OPPOSITION, BUT I DON'T WANT, I KNOW WE'VE GOT A LIMITED NUMBER HERE, SO I DON'T WANT TO, UH, GET IN THE WAY OF THIS PASSING.
SO I JUST, YOU KNOW, UH, WE'LL JUST SEE HOW IT GOES.
COMMISSIONER FRIGHT, YOU SECONDED.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO DISCUSS THE MOTION?
[02:20:01]
UM, FROM, JUST FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN AND WHAT I'VE HEARD THIS EVENING, I MEAN, IT'S LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, MR. MR. PERRY, YOU KNOW, CONTRIBUTED A LOT TO THE COMMUNITY, BUT THAT WAS MR. PERRY.BUT IT'S LIKE SUBSEQUENT, SUBSEQUENT OWNERS OF THE PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, HAVE JUST ALLOWED THE THING TO GO TO GO TO POT.
AND THE, I WAS GONNA MAKE A A A THINKING ABOUT THE, THE FLAT ROOFS, THE WAY THE FLAT ROOF IS ON THAT PLACE.
IT REMINDS ME OF THE WAY THE ROOFS WERE ON THE PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECT WHERE MY FAMILY LIVED, UH, FOR ABOUT, FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS.
NO, NO REALLY, UH, FORM OF, UH, DRAINAGE, ADEQUATE DRAINAGE.
NOT LIKE, UH, TODAY THAT I JUST, UM, I I, I DO HATE TO VOTE TO, LET'S SAY, HAVE THIS PER PERMITTED TO BE DEMOLISHED.
BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S, I DON'T THINK IT'S WORTH SAVING.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY I, I'M IN, I'M IN, I THINK IN FAVOR OF THE DEMOLITION PERMIT, BUT, UH, AND BECAUSE OF THE BALANCE OF THINGS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT A NUMBER OF THE ITEMS THAT WERE READ OFF AS ISSUES TO THIS RESIDENT ARE ACTUALLY, UM, ARE REPAIRABLE UNDER EVEN BUILDING CODES EXISTING, UH, INTERNATIONAL EXISTING BUILDING CODE, UH, DOESN'T REQUIRE A LARGE AMOUNT OF ROOF MODIFICATION.
UH, THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE ALLOWS FOR 16TH OF INCH PER SLOPE FOOT SLOPE ON CERTAIN TYPES OF ROOF SYSTEMS. UM, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO IF WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT HAD MUCH MORE SIGNIFICANCE, WE WOULD BE TALKING ABOUT WAYS TO REPAIR IT.
UH, FOR INSTANCE, PAINTED OF STONE, YOU CAN TURN AROUND AND THINGS.
AND SO IT'S MORE OF THE BALANCE OF STUFF.
BUT I WANT IT SAID THAT A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ACTUALLY SAID THAT, THAT WERE OF AN ISSUE ARE, ARE NOT ACTUALLY AN ISSUE, UM, AS FAR AS HISTORIC PRESERVATION.
UM, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE A BALANCE OF THINGS PLUS, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, THE OTHER, THE OTHER ISSUES OF, OF, OF PROMINENCE AND THINGS, I, I THINK I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE DEMOLITION PERMIT.
ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE A MOTION TO, UH, APPROVE THE DEMOLITION PERMIT PENDING A DEMO, UM, UH, DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE, ALL THOSE IN.
UM, BEST FOR CLARIFICATION, THERE ARE SEVEN OF US HERE IN ATTENDANCE.
UH, A VOTE OF SIX IS A QUORUM VOTE.
IS THAT CORRECT? LEMME MAKE SURE STAFF CONFIRMS THAT.
OH, A A A VOTE WITH SIX IS A QUORUM VOTE AND WOULD PASS, WHEREAS THERE ARE SEVEN OF US TOTAL, SO, YES.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
AND I SEE THERE ARE SIX HANDS RAISED, ALL THOSE OPPOSED.
AND COMMISSIONER WARD IS ABSTAINING.
SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH AND WE APPRECIATE, UM, ALL THE GOOD DISCUSSION AS WELL.
THAT CONCLUDES ALL OF OUR PENDING CASES.
UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL ACTION ITEMS, UH, MORE OF
[17. Discuss nominations and possible action to approve a member to represent the Historic Landmark Commission on the Downtown Commission]
A HOUSEKEEPING NATURE.THE FIRST ONE IS, UH, WE'RE POSTED FOR DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION FOR A MEMBER TO REPRESENT US ON THE, UH, DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
AND, UH, COMMISSIONER, UM, UH, CHUCK LAROCHE HAS BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB IN THAT CAPACITY.
UH, HE IS UNFORTUNATELY, UH, TRAVELING AND NOT ABLE TO SIGN IN FROM TORONTO, AS HE'S TOLD ME BEFORE THIS MEETING.
BUT HE DID SAY HE WOULD BE WILLING TO, UH, AND, AND ACTUALLY WAS VERY EAGER TO CONTINUE IN THAT CAPACITY IF, IF WE CHOOSE TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE THAT SELECTION TONIGHT.
UH, SO WE CAN EITHER GO AHEAD AND, UH, OPEN THIS UP FOR, UH, APPOINTMENT.
UH, AND AGAIN, WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE CANDIDATE WHO'D LIKE TO, OR IF YOU ALL WOULD PREFER, SINCE THERE ARE ONLY SEVEN OF US, WE COULD WAIT TILL THE NEXT MEETING AND I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND, AND PUT, PUT IN COMMISSIONER ROCHE'S NAME FOR APPOINTMENT TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
I MOVE TO CONFIRM APPOINTMENT OF, UH, COMMISSIONER CARL LAROCHE TO THE, UH, DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
AND DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
UM, DOESN'T REQUIRE DISCUSSION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S UNANIMOUS.
[02:25:01]
UH, WHEN, WHEN CHUCK WASS IS THE, THE, THE, THE TAPE, THEN HE'LL, HE'LL KNOW THAT HE'S, HE'S GOT DOUBLE DUTY NOW SINCE HE'S REPRESENTING US AGAIN ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.UH, WE'RE ALSO POSTED FOR, UH, OFFICER
[18. Conduct officer elections for 2025.]
ELECTIONS.UM, AGAIN, WE HAVE A VICE CHAIR WHO, UH, WAS NOT ABLE TO ATTEND, BUT COMMISSIONER EVANS, UH, I BELIEVE HAS INDICATED THAT SHE ALSO WOULD BE WILLING TO SERVE IN THAT CAPACITY.
UH, OR AGAIN, WE COULD WAIT AND SEE IF WE HAVE A, A LARGER, UH, UM, TURNOUT TO FINALIZE THAT.
WE ARE WAITING ON LEGAL, UH, WE ARE SEEING IF WE CAN NOMINATE, UH, COMMISSIONER EVANS AS A VICE CHAIR WHEN SHE'S NOT HERE.
UH, OR IF WE NEED TO POSTPONE IT'S, UH, IN THE BYLAWS.
WE NEED TO HAVE THEM DONE AT OUR APRIL MEETING.
UH, SO WE ARE WAITING ON AN ANSWER.
I TELL YOU WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE HAVE IN THE PAST POSTPONED THIS, UH, ITEM, UH, ACTUALLY MORE TIMES THAN YOU MIGHT KNOW,
'CAUSE I THINK A COUPLE TIMES WE FORGOT, UH, THAT THERE WAS A, SO LET ME DO THIS.
I I THINK IT WOULD BE CLEANER ALL THE WAY AROUND.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF NEW MEMBERS.
WE EVEN HAVE ONE NEW MEMBER WHO'S NOT BEEN SEATED.
AND SO I'M JUST GOING TO RECOMMEND, UH, IF IT'S ALL RIGHT WITH YOU, THAT WE POSTPONE THE OFFICER ELECTIONS TO OUR NEXT MEETING.
UH, I UNDERSTAND THAT WE WOULD BASICALLY MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO WITH, UH, MYSELF AS CHAIR COMMISSIONER EVANS AS VICE CHAIR, UM, JUST BY, BY BY DEFAULT UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING.
AND THEN WE CAN WE CIRCLE BACK TO IT? MARY'S CHECKING THE BYLAWS, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO ASK FOR BYLAWS ON THAT ONE.
ALRIGHT, SO COMMISSIONER, UH, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO POSTPONE THE OFFICER ELECTIONS TO THE NEXT MEETING.
MOVE TO POSTPONE OFFICER OFFICER ELECTIONS TO A FOLLOWING MEETING.
COMMISSIONER ALVAREZ IS THERE SECOND? SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
[19. Approve budget recommendation for FY 2025-26. ]
I LEFT FOR YOU A, UH, TEXT OF A BUDGET RECOMMENDATION FOR, UM, THE 25 26 BUDGET.THERE ARE SOME NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PROCESS THAT I THINK ARE STILL BEING WORKED OUT.
SO EVEN THOUGH THIS IS POSTED AS A 25, 26, UH, I BELIEVE THE NEW SYSTEM WILL ACTUALLY BE, UH, LOOKING TOWARDS, UH, TWO YEAR CYCLES FOR BUDGETING, UH, BASED ON THE CITY MANAGER'S, UH, RECOMMENDATION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MORE CONTINUITY AND WE'LL BE BETTER ABLE TO SERVE THE PUBLIC.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPERATIVE FOR THAT REASON THAT WITHIN THIS DEADLINE WE DO, UH, SUBMIT.
AND THIS IS THE LAST MEETING THAT WE WOULD BE IN A POSITION TO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION.
SO WHAT I HAVE DONE, UH, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT FALLS UPON THE COMMISSIONERS.
THIS IS SOMETHING STAFF IS NOT DOING, BUT WE CAN SEND TWO COUNSEL FROM OUR COMMISSION, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS AS WE HAVE IN THE PAST.
AND I HAVE UPDATED, UH, SOME OF THE WHEREASES WERE FROM OUR PAST, UH, REQUESTS.
BUT SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE ALSO HAD THE EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN IN DECEMBER ADOPTED BY COUNSEL.
AND SO THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU SEE LISTED ARE SPECIFICALLY THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE PART OF THAT, UH, ORDINANCE WHEN IT WAS APPROVED BY COUNSEL.
SO THEY SHOULD RECOGNIZE THIS.
AND THEN A RATHER MODEST REQUEST, THIS IS WHAT WE'VE REQUESTED LAST YEAR AS WELL, WHICH IS THAT THERE'S FUNDING TO MAINTAIN THE IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM AND THEN ADDITIONAL STAFF TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT AS WELL.
SO IF I MISSED SOMETHING, UH, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD, BUT, UH, I, WE ARE POSTED TO TAKE AN ACTION AND WE WILL NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO SO, UH, AT THIS MEETING IF WE'RE GOING TO STAY WITHIN THE BUDGETING CYCLE.
AND THE STAFF MAY HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER INSIGHTS AS WELL BEFORE WE, UH, MAKE A FINAL DETERMINATION ABOUT THIS.
HI, KIM MCKNIGHT, DIVISION MANAGER.
UM, ONE OBSERVATION, I JUST WANNA POINT THIS OUT IS, UM, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, CALLAN, AND PLEASE CORRECT ME THE, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED AT THE BOTTOM, I BELIEVE WAS FROM THE BUDGET RECOMMENDATION FROM LAST YEAR.
IS THAT, BUT I WILL SAY THAT THE MOST RECENT RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE WHAT WAS IN THE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED BY COUNCIL AS WELL AS THE ORDINANCE WHEN THE PLAN WAS, UH, ADOPTED BY COUNCIL IN NOVEMBER.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE RECOMMENDATION, AGAIN, THIS IS YOUR CALL, AND THE ADOPTING ORDINANCE SPOKE TO TWO STAFF MEMBERS, THE CULTURAL MAPPING.
AND SO I DID, I DON'T THINK THAT THINGS ARE NECESSARILY IN CONFLICT, BUT I THINK THAT THE, WHEREAS PORTION,
[02:30:01]
THAT VERY LAST ONE, UM, THAT IS WHAT WAS IN THE COUNCIL ACTION NOVEMBER 21ST, 2024.SO IS THE SPECIFIC REQUEST AND THE NOW THEREFORE IT BE RESOLVED, UH, DOES THAT NEED TO BE UPDATED OR MODIFIED? IT MIGHT BE LESS CONFUSING IF IT WERE, IF I WERE IN YOUR SHOES, JUST BECAUSE I THINK YOU'VE GOT DIFFERENT CITATIONS FOR STAFFING AND, AND DOLLAR AMOUNTS.
AND I, I DON'T KNOW THAT DOLLAR AMOUNTS ARE NECESSARILY, I WOULD FOCUS MORE ON THE WHAT PER, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT MIGHT, I MEAN YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT, BUT UM, THAT CAN BE SORT OF FLUID
SO THE, I THE, THE TECHNICAL DEADLINE WAS ACTUALLY MARCH 31ST.
THEY SAID THAT WE COULD, UM, AS YOU SAID, LIKE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT AS YOU, AS YOU NOTED IT, THIS IS, THEY, THEY EXTENDED IT SO THAT WE COULD GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY.
AND SO, UM, I DON'T REALLY SEE AN AN ISSUE.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT THERE MIGHT BE SOME INCONSISTENCIES IN THE LANGUAGE THAT LAST WHEREAS IS AGAIN, FROM THE IMPLEMENT, IT'S FROM THE ACTUAL ADOPTING ORDINANCE, IF THAT HELPS.
BUT, SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT WOULD BE RECOGNIZED BY THE COUNCIL AND THAT WOULD BE UNDERSTOOD AS CONSISTENT WITH THEIR INTENT.
SO THEN THE RESOLUTION, IF WE JUST TOOK THE NUMBERS OFF, WE WOULD MAYBE ALLOW FOR, UH, WHAT OUR INTENT IS, WHICH IS BOTH THE STAFFING AND OTHER IMPLEMENTATION RESOURCES.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS YOUR CALL, BUT I THINK THAT I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME INCONSISTENCIES WITH WHAT WAS RECOMMENDED LAST YEAR AND WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED.
YEAH, I, I THAT LITERALLY, THAT'S ALL I WAS ABLE TO GET.
BECAUSE YOU DID A VERY GOOD JOB.
YEAH, WE FOUND WE HAD A DEADLINE ONLY A FEW DAYS.
YEAH, IT WAS A LITTLE CONFUSING.
UM, ONE OPTION THEN WOULD BE TO JUST, UH, PLEASE LOOK OVER THE, UH, THE REQUEST AND WE COULD GO AHEAD AND, UH, DELETE THE SPECIFIC AMOUNTS, UH, BUT TO EXPRESS THE INTENT FOR BOTH THE FUNDING TO IMPLEMENT AS INDICATED ABOVE.
UH, AND THEN ALSO THE STAFFING.
DOES THAT IN ANY WAY NEED TO BE QUANTIFIED? LIKE ONE FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE PLUS X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS? WE CAN CERTAINLY ASK, ASK STAFF.
I CAN'T REALLY SPEAK TO THE EXACT BUDGET REQUESTS.
THERE'S A PROCESS IN PLAY AND THAT WILL WHAT AND, AND JUST TO EXPLAIN THE BIENNIAL PROCESS IS, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, AND I, AND I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY GREAT, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I UNDERSTAND OUR CITY MANAGER WORKED ON IN DALLAS REQUESTS TECHNICALLY THAT WE MAKE NOW, INSTEAD OF THOSE BEING ENACTED IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET CYCLE, THEY WOULD BE UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR THE FOLLOWING BUDGET CYCLE.
SO THE UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR THAT STARTS OCTOBER 1ST IS FISCAL YEAR 25, 26.
AND THOSE BUDGET REQUESTS WOULD ACTUALLY BE CONSIDERED FOR THE FOLLOWING BUDGET YEAR, WHICH WOULD BE 26, 27.
THE REASON THEY DO IT THAT WAY, WHICH I SUPPORT, IS THAT IT GIVES THEM MUCH MORE TIME TO BE STRATEGIC AND TRY TO LOOK FOR EFFICIENCIES.
UM, IT'S A NEW SYSTEM SO IT MAY TAKE SOME TIME FOR, FOR ALL OF IT TO COME TOGETHER.
UM, SO HAVING SAID THAT, UM, WE'RE NOT REALLY IN A PLACE TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WHAT WE HAVE SUBMITTED BECAUSE IT'S GOING THROUGH A PROCESS.
BUT THAT WILL BE RELEASED PER THE MEMO THAT YOU RECEIVED IN JULY WHEN THE CITY MANAGER RELEASES THE BUDGET THAT'S PROPOSED, THEY'LL SHARE WHAT THE BUDGET REQUESTS WERE AND THEN IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING YOU WOULD SORT OF CONSIDER THAT IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO EXPLAIN, BUT IT'S UM, FOR THE PURPOSE OF WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO, YOU ARE, I THINK THIS IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE HAVE THE EQUITY BASED PRESERVATION PLAN AND THERE'S AN UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S A NEW PLAN AND THAT IMPLEMENTATION IS IMPORTANT.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S, I DON'T THINK THAT YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS HERE ARE IN CONFLICT, BUT WHAT I WANTED TO POINT OUT WAS THAT THERE WAS SOME VERY SPECIFIC ITEMS IN THE ADOPTION ORDINANCE, WHICH ARE IN THAT LAST, WHEREAS THAT THERE'S FOUR ITEMS. UM, I WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT THOSE ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE NEEDS THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED WIDELY, BUT NOT, NOT A SECRET.
WHEREAS THE LAST PARAGRAPH, UM, HAS SOME SPECIFIC DOLLAR AMOUNTS AND OTHER SORT OF STAFFING AMOUNTS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT IS IN THE REST OF THAT
[02:35:01]
SORT OF UPPER PORTION.DOES THAT MAKE SENSE WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY? YEAH, THERE'S JUST A CONFLICT.
I SEE THE LAST REST DOES CALL FOR TWO ADDITIONAL STAFF MEMBERS.
THAT THAT'S EASY ENOUGH TO CHANGE.
SO I THINK, I THINK YOUR SENSE OF FOCUSING ON INTENT VERSUS UM, YOU KNOW, I MEAN I'M NOT SUGGESTING THAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE LANGUAGE THAT'S ALREADY IN THE ADOPTING ORDINANCE.
I THINK YOU'RE JUST REINFORCING WHAT COUNSEL HAS ALREADY INTENDED.
BUT THAT VERY LAST PARAGRAPH I THINK HAS, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT HAVE SOME CONFLICT, SOME CONFLICTS AND IT'S GOT VERY SPECIFIC PRESCRIPTIVE DOLLAR AMOUNTS, WHICH MIGHT BE CONFUSING 'CAUSE IT'S NOT CLEAR WHAT YOU'RE SPECIFICALLY ASKING FOR.
WHEREAS THERE'S SOME OTHER ITEMS IN THE ADOPTING ORDINANCE THAT WERE PRETTY CLEAR.
DO YOU FEEL THERE BE CLARITY WE REMOVE THE DOLLAR VALUES AND CHANGE TOO? THAT WOULD BE LESS IN CONFLICT I THINK WITH, SO I THINK, I THINK THAT'D BE GOOD.
JUST TRYING TO GET THE TWO STATEMENTS IN ALIGNMENT IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT I WAS SUGGESTING.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? AS THE FUNDING, THE FUNDING WISE THOUGH, IS THAT, YOU SAID IS WORKING THROUGH RIGHT NOW IS ASSOCIATED WITH ITEMS ONE THROUGH FOUR? CORRECT.
SO WE DON'T NEED TO RECOMMEND A DOLLAR VALUE BECAUSE THE DOLLAR VALUE IS ALREADY WORKING THROUGH.
WE HAVE ALREADY MADE A REQUEST.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
WE'RE NOT REALLY AT LIBERTY TO TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE WE NEED TO LET THE BUDGET PROCESS PLAY OUT.
UM, I DO THINK THINGS ARE GONNA BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR AND THAT OUR REQUESTS ARE, ARE, WE KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THINGS ARE BEING REVIEWED SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS EQUITY BASED PLAN, WE HAVE AN IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY.
OUR CITY MANAGERS EXPRESSED A LOT OF INTEREST IN SUPPORTING THAT.
BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE BUDGET PROCESS WILL BE DIFFERENT IN THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS YOU'RE MAKING AND CONSIDERING MAY BE FACTORED IN A, A SUBSEQUENT BUDGET CYCLE, NOT THE ONE ONE THAT'S COMING UP IN SIX MONTHS.
COMMISSIONERS, I THINK BASED ON WHAT WE'RE HEARING, UM, LET ME MAKE A RECOMMENDATION IF YOU ALL HAVE THE TEXT IN FRONT OF YOU, I'VE JUST MADE A COUPLE OF VERY QUICK CHANGES.
UM, EVERYTHING WOULD READ AS OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE 25 26 BUDGET, UH, ALL OF THE, WHEREAS CLAUSES, INCLUDING THOSE IDENTIFYING THE, UH, FOUR PRIORITIES FROM, FOR IMPLEMENTING THE EQUITY BASED PLAN.
AND WE COULD THEN MODIFY THIS BY SAYING, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THAT THE COUNCIL ALLOCATE ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO THE HOUSING AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT FOR FY 25 26 TO IMPLEMENT THE EQUITY BASED HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN.
SO THAT WOULD BE VERY GENERAL, BUT WOULD ADDRESS THE, THE MORE GENERAL, UH, PRIORITIES ABOVE AND ALLOCATE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR STAFFING THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE TO MANAGE AND COORDINATE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PRESERVATION PLAN.
SO I THINK WE'VE COVERED THOSE TWO PRIORITIES BY INDICATING THAT THEY CAN'T DO IT WITH WHAT'S THERE.
WE'RE ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL STAFFING AND THEN THE REST OF THESE, UH, THE RESOURCES ESSENTIAL TO ENGAGE, UH, THE COMMUNITY.
DOES THAT SEEM LIKE A REASONABLE ADJUSTMENT? YEAH.
SO, UH, UNLESS WE NEED TO READ THAT INTO THE RECORD ALL OVER AGAIN, UM, UM, I'D LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND PUT THIS OUT AS THE, UH, RECOMMENDATION FOR OUR BUDGET.
AND I, I WROTE IT SO I'LL, I'LL OFFER IT AS A, UH, AS A MOTION.
NORMALLY THE CHAIR WON'T DO THAT, BUT I WILL.
'CAUSE I WROTE IT
UH, AGAIN, I THINK STAFF HAS GIVEN YOU A GOOD INDICATION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS.
UH, WE JUST MADE THE DEADLINE.
I THINK THEY ACTUALLY EXTENDED IT FOR US.
THERE'S KIND OF THIS AWKWARD MOMENT NOW WHERE THE ROLE OF THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ARE ALSO GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT IN HELPING THE BUDGET PROCESS EVEN MORE SO THAN BEFORE.
AND SO I THINK THIS IS GONNA, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET IN EVEN IF IT'S NOT PERFECT.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PATIENCE ON THIS.
AND THEN COMMISSIONER FRIGHT, ANY DISCUSSION FOR YOUR SECOND? WELL, I AM NEW TO THIS.
I'M, I'M A HORN AND I'LL BE CANDID ABOUT IT.
AND THIS IS JUST, UM, GOING TO BE AN EDUCATIONAL PROCESS FOR ME.
AND SO I WILL, I WILL GO WITH THE, I WILL GO WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION AS IT IS WRITTEN WITH THE LITTLE, UH, UH, UM, A LITTLE,
[02:40:01]
UM, ADDITION MODIFICATION AND GO WITH IT.SINCE YOU'RE DOING THIS AT YOUR FIRST MEETING NOW YOU HAVE FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS, YOU CAN BE TRACKING THIS SOMETHING.
YOU'RE PERSONALLY, MY GOODNESS, GONNA BE TRACKING THIS.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? ALRIGHT, WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE THEIR HAND.
[20. Vote to nominate members to the Grants Committee, Operations Committee, and Preservation Plan Committee]
UH, COMMISSIONERS.WE ALSO HAVE, UH, NOMINEES FOR THE GRANTS OPERATIONS AND PRESERVATION PLAN COMMITTEES.
UH, AGAIN, I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR US, UH, TO GO AHEAD AND DO THIS AT A FUTURE MEETING.
UM, SO I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO DELAY THAT ALSO.
SO, MOVE, IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
COMMISSIONER COOK AND COMMISSIONER ALVAREZ.
UM, ONE THING I WILL SAY, HOWEVER, UH, IN THAT REGARD OF THESE CRITICAL HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS, UH, FOR THE RUNNING OF THE COMMISSION, ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE, UH, BEEN REAPPOINTED, UM, AND THOSE OF YOU'RE CONTINUING TO SERVE, IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY FILLED OUT YOUR ANNUAL FINANCIAL FORM, PLEASE DO SO.
JUST A REMINDER, YOU PROBABLY GOT A REMINDER FROM THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THAT, LET US KNOW.
BUT THAT'S A REQUIREMENT ANNUALLY FOR ALL MEMBERS.
AND THEN, UM, WE ARE LOOKING, UH, WITH STAFF TO HAVE TWO DIFFERENT SESSIONS THAT WE WOULD ALL PARTICIPATE IN, UH, NEW MEMBERS AND OLD MEMBERS ALIKE.
AND THAT WOULD ONE SESSION, UH, THIS IS NOT A REGULAR MEETING, BUT THIS IS JUST A CHANCE TO GET OUR OPERATIONS UP AND RUNNING AND BE ABLE TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER BETTER.
THE FIRST ONE WOULD BE A TRAINING IN GENERAL.
SO ALL THE SPECIFICS THAT, UH, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR AS COMMISSIONERS.
AND SOME OF THE NEW THINGS THAT ARE BEING CHANGED, UH, WOULD BE ALL PART OF THAT, UH, UH, SESSION.
AND WE'LL HAVE TO FIND PARTICULAR DATES ON THE CALENDAR THAT WOULD BE SUITABLE FOR EVERYBODY'S SCHEDULE.
BUT, UH, IDEALLY WE WOULD WANT ALL COMMISSIONERS NEW AND EXPERIENCED COMMISSIONERS TO ATTEND.
AND THEN SOMETHING THAT WE DID, UM, UH, SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN WE HAD A NUMBER OF NEWS COMMISSIONERS, WE HAD A RETREAT AND WE JUST GOT TOGETHER AND WE SAT DOWN AND HAD A FACILITATOR HELP KIND OF WALK THROUGH, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AS VOLUNTEERS? WHAT MOTIVATES EACH OF US AS INDIVIDUAL PRESERVATIONISTS? WHAT SKILLS DO WE BRING TO THE TABLE? UH, WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS THAT REALLY, UM, WE'D LIKE TO CHALLENGE THE GROUP TO HELP HELP US ALL ACCOMPLISH TOGETHER.
AND SO, UH, BOTH SESSIONS I THINK WOULD IDEALLY BE, UH, SET AT A TIME WHERE ALL OF US COULD ATTEND.
AND I'LL BE ASKING STAFF TO RESERVE SOME TIMES ON THE CALENDAR.
WE'RE PROBABLY, UH, THE SOONEST WE COULD BE DOING THIS WOULD, WOULD BE THE TOWARDS THE END OF MAY OR MAYBE EVEN INTO JUNE.
BUT I DON'T WANT US TO WAIT VERY LONG.
UH, I THINK THE TRAINING'S ESSENTIAL FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT EQUALLY SO, UH, THE RETREAT TO REALLY PLOT OUT, UH, OUR PRIORITIES AS COMMISSIONERS IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT, UH, IF NOT MORE SO.
UH, I THINK THE LAST TIME WE DID IT, WE TRIED DOING IT ALL IN ONE BIG PACKAGE AND IT WAS JUST TOO MUCH.
AND SO THESE TWO SESSIONS, IF YOU COULD LOOK AHEAD WHEN YOU GET YOUR, UH, REQUEST FOR CALENDAR DATES, WE'LL TRY TO FIGURE OUT A TIME WHEN ALL OF US CAN ATTEND.
[21. Consider the 2025 applications for partial ad valorem tax exemptions for historic properties and vote on recommending them for approval or disapproval.]
CONSIDERATION OF THE 2025 APPLICATION FOR PARTIAL AVALARA AND TAX EXEMPTIONS.YOU MAY BE AWARE, UH, THE TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM OF THE CITY REQUIRES THAT WE HAVE AN ANNUAL CERTIFICATION, UH, THAT ALL HUNDREDS OF MEMBERS WHO ARE PART OF THIS PROGRAM HAVE HELD UP THEIR END OF THE BARGAIN.
AND, UH, IF THEY HAVE NOT, THAT WE LET 'EM KNOW AND THEY ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES THAT MIGHT BE DEFICIENT IN THEIR HISTORIC PROPERTIES.
UH, THE FIRST BATCH OF THOSE, UH, WERE APPROVED AT OUR LAST MEETING, BUT NOT ALL OF THEM WERE READY.
AND WE HAVE IN OUR BACKUP THE LIST OF THE REMAINING, UH, STAFF.
IS THERE ANY OTHER THING WE NEED TO HAVE, UH, ON THAT, ON THIS ITEM? ANY OTHER PRESENTATION YOU NEED TO MAKE ON THIS ITEM? OKAY.
UH, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION ON ITEM 21 TO APPROVE THE, UH, REMAINING APPLICATIONS.
COMMISSIONER COOK, IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER, UH, MCWHORTER.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE INDICATE BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
AND THAT APPROVED IS APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
[24. Architectural Review Committee – Comments on the March 12, 2025 meeting. Members: Commissioners Koch, Grogan, Alvarez.]
COMMITTEE UPDATES.UH, AGAIN, I BELIEVE THE ONLY COMMITTEE THAT HAS BEEN, UH, MEETING IN THE LAST MONTH IS THE ARCHITECTURE REVIEW COMMITTEE.
[02:45:01]
OR COMMISSIONER ALVAREZ, WHOEVER, WHOEVER WOULD LIKE TO, UH, GIVE AN OVERVIEW.I THINK WE ONLY HAD, UH, MAYBE TWO OR THREE CASES.
WE HEARD THE, YOU SAW THE SHO CREEK HOUSE PARK
SO IT WASN'T TOO MUCH HEAVY LIFTING, BUT NO, IT, IT WASN'T EASY.
WELL, AS ALWAYS, WE APPRECIATE THE WORK.
UH, ALL THREE OF YOU, UH, IN THE ARCHITECTURE REVIEW COMMITTEE AND THE EXPERTISE THAT YOU BRING AND, AND OFFER IT CERTAINLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, THAT'S THE END OF OUR AGENDA.
UH, UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE I WILL ENTERTAIN.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE THEIR HAND.